The aim of this work was to study the effect of different irrigation interval and irrigation depth on morphogenetic characteristics and tillering of the Panicum maximum Jacq. cv. Tanzania. The grass was cultivated in recipients in a greenhouse. The irrigations were performed with intervals of 1, 4 and 7 days, in order to reestablish soil water content to 50, 75 and 100% of the total available water in the soil. The tillering was obtained through counting of living tiller after each cut. The morphogenetic characteristics were studied through the leaf appearance rate (LAR), leaf elongation rate (LER) and stem elongation rate (SER), emerging leaf numbers (EmLN), expanded leaf numbers (ExLN) and living leaf numbers (LLN). The tillering was larger for larger irrigation depth. The climate provided greater effect in the morphogenetic characteristics than the treatments. The studied factors were not significant for SER, EmLN, ExLN and LLN.
Irrigation interval; irrigation depth; leaf; elongation
