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

• Autor(a) principal: LOPES, M. N.
• Data de Publicação: 2016
• Outros Autores: 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 documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Institucional da EMBRAPA (Repository Open Access to Scientific Information from EMBRAPA - Alice)
• Texto Completo: http://www.alice.cnptia.embrapa.br/alice/handle/doc/1057490
• topic: 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

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.