Resumen

GUEVARA, Eunice  y  GUENNI, Orlando. Acumulación de biomasa y patrón de crecimiento en Leucaena leucocephala (Lam) de Wit., durante la fase de establecimiento. II. Estructura y patrón de crecimiento aéreo. Zootecnia Trop. [online]. 2004, vol.22, n.3, pp.231-240. ISSN 0798-7269.

In the present study, shoot morphology and its growth pattern, was compared among three accessions (CIAT 7984, 9438, 18477) of Leucaena leucocephala during the first 110 days after germination (DAG). Cv. Perú was used as a control plant. The experiment was carried out under glasshouse conditions, where plants were grown in PVC pots (1 m height x 0.20 m diameter). A completed randomized designed was used, in a factorial arrangement of 4 plant materials x 5 harvests (ie. 15, 30, 45, 60 and 110 DAG) x 5 replicates. Measurements were performed on the shoot, recording the weekly number of nodes (Nn), leaves (LN), primarily (B1) and secondary branches (B2) and plant height (PH). Differences among lines were analyzed by non-parametric statistics. In general, the number of vegetative structures was positively correlated to shoot biomass. Accession 18477 and cv. Perú had a greater number of LN, B1 and B2, thus showing their forage potential under non-limiting conditions. The pattern of vegetative development was relatively similar among accessions, though accession 18477 showed a distinct pattern of B2 production along the shoot, which may be of agronomic value under field conditions.

Palabras clave : Morphology; growth; shoot.