Characterization of phenotypic diversity,yield and response to drought stress in a collection of Rhodes grass (Chloris gayana Kunth) accessions

Information on available diversity and drought resistance among Chloris gayana accessions would offer considerable potential to select genotypes to alleviate the feed inadequacy that constrains livestock production in dry tropical areas. A collection of 62 C. gayana accessions from the genebank of the International Livestock Research Institute in Ethiopia was characterized using a set of 30 morphological, 4 phenological and 8 agronomic traits to assess diversity within the collection and to select promising accessions for use as livestock feed. In parallel, an experiment was conducted to assess the ability of these C. gayana accessions to maintain productivity under drought stress.