BIOMASS PRODUCTION IN SPRING HABIT TRITICALE (X Triticosecale Wittmack) ELITE LINES

In plant breeding, genotype behavior analysis under different development conditions and years of evaluation allows for the identification of desirable individuals. In this study, forage biomass production of 20 elite lines of spring habit triticale (X Triticosecale Wittmack) determined over a two-year evaluation period. The research was conducted in autumn-winter seasons of 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 in Celaya, Guanajuato, Mexico. It was carried out using a randomized complete block experimental design with three replications per year and combined analysis. The experimental unit included two furrows in an area of 8.0 m2. The variables measured were those related to green and dry forage yield, number of stems, number of leaves, and plant height in the milky-mass stage. Lines L-3, L-9, and L-4 showed higher averages of green and dry forage, more stems and leaves, increased plant height, and presented a late cycle; L-18, L-20, and L-19 yielded less, with a tendency to earlier and smaller plant size. The combined analysis revealed significant differences (p ≤ 0.05); the biplot showed that lines L-17, L-5, L-9, L-20, L-4, and L-19 had higher production in the first year of evaluation for green and dry forage, number of stems, as well as a higher number of leaves.