01995naa a2200253 a 450000100080000000500110000800800410001910000200006024501220008026000090020250000320021152012090024365000250145265000250147765000350150265000130153765300150155070000330156570000210159870000180161970000220163770000200165977300620167919053552011-11-09       2011    bl uuuu     u00u1 u    #d1 aRICCI, G. C. L.  aChromosome numbers and meiotic analysis in the pre-breeding of Brachiaria decumbens (Poaceae).h[electronic resource]  c2011  aIndian Academy of Sciences.  aA total of 44 accessions of Brachiaria decumbens were analysed for chromosome count and meiotic behaviour in order to identify potential progenitors for crosses. Among them, 15 accessions presented 2n = 18; 27 accessions, 2n = 36; and 2 accessions, 2n = 45 chromosomes. Among the diploid accessions, the rate of meiotic abnormalities was low, ranging from 0.82% to 7.93%. In the 27 tetraploid accessions, the rate of meiotic abnormalities ranged from 18.41% to 65.83%. The most common meiotic abnormalities were related to irregular chromosome segregation, but chromosome stickiness and abnormal cytokinesis were observed in low frequency. All abnormalities can compromise pollen viability by generating unbalanced gametes. Based on the chromosome number and meiotic stability, the present study indicates the apomictic tetraploid accessions that can act as male genitor to produce interspecific hybrids with B. ruziziensis or intraspecific hybrids with recently artificially tetraploidized accessions. In this paper we determined the chromosome number and evaluated the meiotic behaviour of 44 accessions of B. decumbens available at Embrapa Beef Cattle (Brazil) as a subsidy for the breeding programme.  aBrachiaria Decumbens  aGramínea Forrageira  aMelhoramento Genético Vegetal  aPastagem  aBraquiaria1 aSOUZA-KANESHIMA, A. M. de S.1 aFELISMINO, M. F.1 aMENDES-BONATO1 aPAGLIARINI, M. S.1 aVALLE, C. B. do  tJournal of Geneticsgv. 90, No. 2, p. 289-294, Aug. 2011.