M EDICINA VETERINARIAY ZOO TECNIA Fecha correspondencia: Recibido: 2 de agosto de 2016. Aceptado: 24 de febrero de 2017. Forma de citar: Arango Gaviria J, Cardona Naranjo FA, López Herrera A, Correa Londoño G, Echeverri Zuluaga JJ. Variación de caracteres morfológicos del pasto kikuyo ( Cenchrus clandestinus) en el trópico alto de Antioquia. Rev. CES Med. Zootec. 2017; Vol 12 (1): 44-52. Open access © Copyright Creative commons Éthics of publications Peer review Open Journal System DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.21615/ cesmvz.12.1.4 ISSN 1900-9607 Filiación: 1 Estudiante de Doctorado en Biotecnología, Facultad de Ciencias. Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Grupo BIOGEM. Artículo de investigación Morphological variation of characters of kikuyu grass (Cenchrus clandestinus) in the high tropics of Antioquia Variación de caracteres morfológicos del pasto kikuyo (Cenchrus clandestinus) en el trópico alto de Antioquia Variação de caracteres morfológicos de Kikuyu Grass (Cenchrus clandestinus) na alta Trópico de Antioquia Juliana Arango Gaviria 1 CvLAC, Zoot, MSc, PhD (est) ; Felipe Alfonso Cardona Naranjo 2 CvLAC, Biol, MSc ; Albeiro López Herrera 3 CvLAC, Zoot, Mv, MSc, PhD ; Guillermo Correa Londoño 3 CvLAC, Ing Forestal, MSc, PhD ; José Julián Echeverri Zuluaga 3 CvLAC, Zoot, MSc, PhD . Comparte Abstract The kikuyu grass (Cenchrus clandestinus) represents about 80% of the base of all the forage supply of specialized dairy country. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare some morphological characters in kikuyu grass populations located in the high tropics Antioqueño. 384 samples of plant material were collected in three areas of the department of Antio- quia. For each sample width and length of the lamina, internode length, diameter internode, width node, width and length of the sheath it was esta- blished. In order to Represent a two-dimensional geometric space in exis- ting proximity between experimental units collected in diferent municipa- lities, an analysis of multidimensional scaling (MDS) it was performed. In addition the results were analyzed using generalized linear models (GLM) using each measure as dependiente variable. The municipality had a hi- ghly signifcant (p <0.01) on all measured morphological characters. For the characteristic diameter internodes, wide internodes, lamina and shea- th; the days of rest and altitude, had a highly signifcant efect (p <0.01). Although a pattern of similarities between morphological characteristics were found, the efects included in the models were all statistically signi- fcant for each of these characters To establish better results that may be potential for future breeding programs is recommended to associate this information with studies diversity and genetic variation. Keywords: cenchrus, ecotype, grasses. Resumen El pasto kikuyo (Cenchrus clandestinus) representa cerca del 80% de la base de toda la alimentación forrajera de la lechería especializada del país. El objetivo de este trabajo fue evaluar y comparar algunos caracteres morfológicos en poblaciones del pasto kikuyo ubicadas en el trópico alto Antioqueño. Se recolectaron 384 muestras de material vegetativo en tres zonas del departamento de Antioquia. Para cada muestra se estableció ancho y largo de la lámina, longitud de entrenudos, diámetro de entrenu-