Search

The objective of this paper deal with the analyses of the information obtained in Cuba related to the influence of climatic factors on the production and quality of grasses and forages. The results showed that: the species within the genus and varieties showed a particular and specific response to climatic factors; the same variety of grass responded differently in both seasons of the year; minimum temperatures lower than 15 ºC and maximum lower than 27 ºC, as well as the number rainy days, had a marked effect; the models between yield and quality with the elements of the climate had high complexity and when comparing Pennisetum purpureum (as an experimental model) it showed higher height and lower yield in the 2000s compared to the ´60s. The results showed the specific response of each grass against the climate indicators, like the mathematical models that relate it, as well as the change that the climate has undergone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The differences in the rain precipitation regime were studied in two areas of the Institute of Animal Science: main meteorological station (ICA) and in the Experimental Center of Pastures and Forages "Miguel Sistachs Naya" (Center), in the period of 2002-2009. Statistical analysis was performed for rainfall for months, for year, for season, and the number of days with rain. The greatest annual precipitation (1,391.8 mm) occurred in the ICA with the minor standard deviation (264.63), standard error (93.56) and coefficient of variation (19.04 %). A similar situation presented this indicator for months the rainiest months were june, july, august, and september while january, february, march, november and december were the driest (lower than 50 mm). The number of days with rain in the year, in the dry season and in the rainy season was superior in the ICA (84.4, 21.8 and 62.2, respectively). The probability, at 95%, the occurrence of rains in the first fortnight of the month was similar for both places and it is recommended to realize future long-term studies and greater number of climatic indicators, as well as conducting modeling, simulation and prediction studies of the effect of climatic factors on pasture yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yield, population and height of plants from experiments done on previous years of evaluation of Pennsisetum purpureum clones were used to obtain the relation with different climatic factors. In the principal component analysis for each of the agronomic indicators, three components were obtained with an eigenvalue superior to one and to select the climatic factor with the best contribution a preponderance factor of 0.70 was used. The variability explained for the height of the plants was 84.78% and maximum temperature and number of days with mean temperature higher than 30ºC does not contributed to the variability. The 84.74% of the variability of the population was explained by the maximum and mean temperatures, total rain, number of days with rain, number of days with minimum temperature inferior to 15ºC, and the number of days with maximum temperature higher than 25ºC. The yield variability (83.78%) was explained by mean of minimum and mean temperatures, total rain, number of days with rain, number of days with minimum temperature inferior to 15 ºC, and number of days with mean temperatures higher than 30ºC. More than 50% of the variability of the height of the plant, yield and population was explained by the mean temperature, total rain, number of days with rain, and minimum temperature inferior to 15ºC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]