Aluminum toxicity tolerance in elephant grass

Abstract

The use of forages with aluminum tolerance is the best alternative to the wide areas of acid soils with high aluminum concentrations in Brazil. So, the goals of this work were: to evaluate the aluminum level in the nutrient solution and the most important characteristics for elephant grass genotypes discrimination; to verify the existence of genetic variability between accesses of elephant grass of BAG Embrapa Gado de Leite for aluminum tolerance, and; to study the genotypes and aluminum levels interaction. In a greenhouse experiment 26 elephant grass genotypes and four aluminum levels (0, 15, 30 e 45 ppm) were tested, using a randomized design, with three replications and only one plant per vase. Data of dry matter of aerial part (DMAP), root dry matter (RDM) height of aerial part (HAP) and root length (RL) were collected. Using the metodologies of Eberhardt and Russell and Annicchiarico, analysis of adaptability and stability were done using the averages of the genotypes on the different levels of aluminum. There was variability between elephant grass genotypes for tolerance to the different aluminum levels, regarding the characteristics DMAP, RDM, HAP and RL. The level of 15 ppm of aluminum was considered the most appropriated to identify tolerant and sensible genotypes to aluminum toxicity. DMAP and HAP were the characteristics indicated for future evaluations of elephant grass for aluminum tolerance using nutrient solution. Taiwan A 121 and Australiano genotypes presented adaptability and stability in relation to the two employed methodologies.