The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the influence of nitrogen doses on seed production and quality of the Mombaça grass (Panicum maximum, Jacq. cv. Mombaça). The nitrogen doses were 0, 50, 100 and 150 kg ha-1, in a completely randomized block design with four replications. The variables evaluated were the number of vegetative and fertile tillers, the number of apparent and pure seeds per panicle and area, the harvesting index, the weight of one thousand pure seeds, and the percentage of seed germination. Linear effects were observed with the nitrogen doses on the number of fertile tillers, number of apparent and pure seeds per panicle and area, harvest index, apparent and pure seed yields, and the viability of the pure seeds. At the highest dose of N applied, the apparent seed yield was 72.6 kg ha-1 and pure seed yield was 34.3 kg ha-1. Apparent and pure seed yields were highly correlated to the number of fertile tillers and their individual mass, number of apparent and pure seeds per panicle and area, dry matter ha-1 and harvest index. The nitrogen fertilization had no influence on the weight of one thousand pure seeds and percentage of seed germination.
harvesting index; Panicum maximum; seed production of tropical grass; seed quality; Mombaça grass
