ISOENZYMATIC CHARACTERIZATION OF ELEPHANT GRASS (PENNISETUM-PURPUREUMSCHUM.) GERMPLASM

Leaf acid phosphatase and esterases of 58 accessions of Pennisetum pur pureum Schum were compared by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. A to tal of 15 alpha and beta-esterase polymorphic bands and 13 acid phosph atase bands were detected, all but one being polymorphic. Electrophore sis proved to be an efficient method to characterize elephant grass ge rmplasm, since accessions could be separated into 23 groups. Despite m orphological differences, no intracultivar variation was found in the electrophoretic patterns. In some cases accessions which bear the same cultivar name, obtained from different places, presented differences, probably due to varietal mixture.