Evaluación agronómica y selección de accesiones de Brachiaria spp. en suelos de mediana fertilidad.

In order to determine the agronomic performance of six accessions belonging to four species from the Brachiaria genus, a study was conducted during a year (rainy and dry seasons). The plant height was measured; likewise, leafiness, vigor and cover, affectations by phytophagous insects and pathogen microorganisms, chlorosis and biomass yield, were estimated. Principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis were applied to the results, through the statistical package SPSS version 11.5. The total variance was high (higher than 90 %) for both seasons, related to the measured and/or estimated variables. The variables with the highest variability were height, affectations by pathogenic microorganisms and yield; in addition to leafiness, cover and vigor. An integral analysis allows to conclude that the accessions Brachiaria decumbens and Brachiaria brizantha CIAT-16322 stood out during the evaluation, for coinciding in both seasons. Their insertion in the flow of varieties is recommended, in order to obtain a commercial variety to be used in animal husbandry systems, in zones with predominance of moderate-fertility soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]