Response of Mombaça Grass (Panicum maximum Jacq.) to Nitrogen Doses and Clipping Frequency

Response of Mombaça Grass (Panicum maximum Jacq.) to Nitrogen Doses and Clipping Frequency

The present experiment had the objectives of determining the response of Mombaça grass (Panicum maximun Jacq.) to three levels of nitrogen fertilizer (0, 250, 500 kg/ha) and two clipping frequencies (28 and 42 days). Dry matter yield (DMY), density and the average weight of tillers and the mean stage count (MSC), value that represents the quantity of the plant phenological development were evaluated. Nitrogen levels affected DMY, with the 500 kg/ha of N resulting in highest yield, and highest MSC as well. The number of tillers responded positively until the 250 kg/ha level. The 42-day frequency gave higher numbers for DMY and MSC, while the number of tillers was not affected. The MSC increased over the experimental period, due to shoot elongation and development of reproductive tillers. At the 28-day interval, vegetative tillers had strong influence on DMY, while at the 42-day, the number of vegetative tillers decreased.