RESPONSE AND STABILITY IN LOVEGRASS CULTIVARS (ERAGROSTIS-CURVULA (SCHRAD.) NEES) UNDER CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENTAL-CONDITIONS

To infer the implantation capacity of ten cultivars of the apomictic s pecies Eragrostis curvula (Schrad.) Nees s. lai. corresponding to Curv ula, Conferta, Robusta and Pilosa types, the response (b) and stabilit y (S-d(2)) of germination capacity and initial growth were evaluated. Two experiments were carried out. In one of them the germination perce ntage was registered and in an another one the initial growth was eval uated by measuring the green and dry matter weight of aerial biomass. Also it was established the possible relationships among the calculate d statistics. The environmental conditions were wide enough to have an adequate estimation of environmental indices and regression coefficie nts. The linear genotype-environment interaction was highly significan t for the three characters. The Curvula type cultivars, with a greater efficiency in water use, exhibited superiority at initial growth whil e Conferta type presented genotypes specifically adapted to unfavourab le environments. Cv. Don Eduardo, (Robusta type) showed the highest ad aptability to all environments. There was non-association between the means and the regression coefficients of the different genotypes as to germination capacity; however, for aerial biomass yield, the genotype s with a production above the mean had regression coefficient values o ver unity. In general, it was also observed that the same genotypes ex hibited different relationships among the mean and the regression coef fient depending on the character analysed.