Description
Nitrogen is the nutrient that most contributes to increase forage productivity and quality. The objective was to evaluate Marandu brachiaria submitted to nitrogen doses in the Brazilian savannah through the total and green mass production, leaf:stem and brachiaria:weed ratio. Plots were established in a randomized block design, with four replications and four N doses 0, 50, 100 and 150 kg N/ha). After the uniformization cut, the data collect cycles occurred when the canopy reached 30 cm average height. Samples were taken until 15 cm from the ground in an area of 0.25 m2. Fractions were separated according botanical (brachiaria and weeds) and morphological (leaf, stem, dead material and inflorescence) components. The highest value of dry matter production and green mass production occurred at 96 and 72 kg N/ha dose (2,669 kg and 1,946 DM/ha). Above and below this value the mass production decreased . The highest relation green mass:dead material ratio was 4.00 at 150 kg N/ha dose. Marandu was able to control the weeds, and the best performance (4.67) was observed at 78 kg N/ha dose. Forage accumulation rate is the mass production/day and the highest accumulation rate occurred at 50 kg N/ha dose. Marandu had higher leaf:stem ratio with nitrogen dose 107 kg N/ha but above 50 kg/N the mass accumulation rate decrease which means that the fertilization cost is not favorable over up this dose, especially above dose 72 kg N/kg when there green mass production decrease.
Included in
Agricultural Science Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Plant Biology Commons, Plant Pathology Commons, Soil Science Commons, Weed Science Commons
Mass Production and Morphology of Marandu Brachiaria Under Different Nitrogen Rates in the Brazilian Savannah
Nitrogen is the nutrient that most contributes to increase forage productivity and quality. The objective was to evaluate Marandu brachiaria submitted to nitrogen doses in the Brazilian savannah through the total and green mass production, leaf:stem and brachiaria:weed ratio. Plots were established in a randomized block design, with four replications and four N doses 0, 50, 100 and 150 kg N/ha). After the uniformization cut, the data collect cycles occurred when the canopy reached 30 cm average height. Samples were taken until 15 cm from the ground in an area of 0.25 m2. Fractions were separated according botanical (brachiaria and weeds) and morphological (leaf, stem, dead material and inflorescence) components. The highest value of dry matter production and green mass production occurred at 96 and 72 kg N/ha dose (2,669 kg and 1,946 DM/ha). Above and below this value the mass production decreased . The highest relation green mass:dead material ratio was 4.00 at 150 kg N/ha dose. Marandu was able to control the weeds, and the best performance (4.67) was observed at 78 kg N/ha dose. Forage accumulation rate is the mass production/day and the highest accumulation rate occurred at 50 kg N/ha dose. Marandu had higher leaf:stem ratio with nitrogen dose 107 kg N/ha but above 50 kg/N the mass accumulation rate decrease which means that the fertilization cost is not favorable over up this dose, especially above dose 72 kg N/kg when there green mass production decrease.
