GROWTH DYNAMICS OF PANICUM-MAXIMUM CV LIKONI AND CYNODON CV-67 ASSOCIATIONS IN CUBA .1. PERFORMANCE DURING THE DRY SEASON

The performance of 5 treatments was studied in a split plot design wit h three replications. The treatments were distributed as follows: Guin ea cv. Likoni and bermuda grass cv. 67 as the control sown alone, thre e combinations of the number of furrows of each of the species previou sly mentioned (1 x 1, 2 x 2 and 3 x 3)with 5 cutting intervals (15, 30 , 45, 60 and 75 days). The measurements were height (rm) and yield (t DM/ha) of each of the species blosoming from it visual viewpoint. In t he combinations 1 x 1 weeds disappeared at 30 days of age and later in guinea grass (control treatment) at 45 days of age, with a considerab le increase in the bermuda grass (control treatment) (1.40 t DM/ha) at 60 days of age, representing almost the total area of the bermuda gra ss control treatment (151 t DM/ha). All the species attained their max imum growth at 60 days of age when the guinea grass control treatment excelled 3.73 t DM/ha without differing from the guinea grass 3 x 3 tr eatment with 3.48 t DM/ha). However, a significant difference (P < 0.0 01) was found between those treatments and the 1 x 1 and 2 x 2 treatme nts in this order, which also differed. The bermuda grass control trea tment differed (P < 0.001) from the remaining treatments of this speci es. On analysing total yield per area the best result was found at 60 days of age with the 3 x 3 treatment (4.99 t DM/ha) which differed (P < 0.001) from the remaining ones. The rest of the treatments were bett er than the bermuda grass control treatment. It is concluded that the optimum harvesting time for these species is at 60 days of age and the best treatment, in general, was the 3 x 3 treatment.