Tillering dynamics in massai grass fertilized with nitrogen and grazed by sheep.

To evaluate the tillering dynamics of massai grass under rotational sheep stocking and fertilized with nitrogen (control - 0; 400; 800 and 1200 kg ha-1 year-1), this study was carried out, in a completely randomized design with repeated measures over time. The mob-grazing technique was applied to pe...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: LOPES, M. N., CÂNDIDO, M. J. D., POMPEU, R. C. F. F., SILVA, R. G. da, MORAIS NETO, L. B. de, CARNEIRO, M. S. de S.
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2016
País:Brasil
Institución:Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária (Embrapa)
Repositorio:Repositório Institucional da EMBRAPA (Repository Open Access to Scientific Information from EMBRAPA - Alice)
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:www.alice.cnptia.embrapa.br:doc/1057490
Acceso en línea:http://www.alice.cnptia.embrapa.br/alice/handle/doc/1057490
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Massai grass
Tillering stability index
Tiller survival rate
Ecofiosiologia vegetal
Perfilhamento
Panicum infestum
Capim massai
Massa de forragem
Plant developmental stages
Pastejo
Ovino
Gramínea forrageira
Consorciação de cultura
Panicum Maximum
Sheep
Nitrogen fertilizers
Descripción
Sumario:To evaluate the tillering dynamics of massai grass under rotational sheep stocking and fertilized with nitrogen (control - 0; 400; 800 and 1200 kg ha-1 year-1), this study was carried out, in a completely randomized design with repeated measures over time. The mob-grazing technique was applied to perform the grazing by employing groups of animals for rapid defoliation. The tiller appearance, survival and mortality rates, tiller biomass, and green/dead tillers ratio, have presented increase responses to nitrogen levels, with the three rates and the tiller biomass varying between evaluation periods. There was a quadratic response for the tiller flowering rate, population density of vegetative and reproductive tillers, reaching maximum values (0.051 tiller 100 tiller-1 day-1; 4,818 and 35 tillers m-2, respectively) under the nitrogen levels of 613.5; 993.5 and 623.9 kg ha-1 year-1, respectively. For the tiller flowering rate and population density of reproductive tillers, it was verified a fluctuation between periods. The nitrogen fertilization promotes positive changes in tillering dynamics of massai grass, allowing the use of up to 800 kg ha-1 year-1 for maintaining the pasture stability. The tillering demography of the forage had varied little between assessment periods.