The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of pasture management during the rainy-dry transition season in Jaboticabal, Brazil, on the structural and tillering characteristics of Marandu palisade grass. The treatments were as follows: 15 cm sward height in the rainy season and ungrazed in the rainy-dry transition season (15/0); 25 cm sward height during the rainy season and fixed stocking rate of 2Á5 AU ha À1 during the rainy-dry transition season (25/2Á5); and 35 cm sward height in the rainy season and fixed stocking rate of 2Á5 AU ha À1 in the rainy-dry transition season (35/2Á5). There were more herbage mass, stem and dead herbage mass in treatments 25/2Á5 and 35/2Á5 than 15/0. Tiller appearance rate was greater in treatment 15/0 and tiller mortality rate was higher in treatment 35/2Á5 compared to treatment 15/0. Tiller population stability index was 1 in treatment 15/0 and lower in treatment 35/2Á5. Although treatment 15/0 showed favourable structural and tillering characteristics, it also has the lowest herbage mass. Treatment 25/2Á5 can be regarded as an adequate management strategy for Marandu palisade grass, since it has similar herbage mass and better tillering characteristics than treatment 35/2Á5.

ABSTRACT. Tillering dynamics during regrowth in the spring (September to December 2009) on signal grass (Brachiaria decumbens cv. Basilisk) pastures deferred in the beginning of April 2009 is evaluated. Four pasture heights were evaluated at the beginning of deferment (10, 20, 30 and 40 cm). The experimental design consisted of completely randomized blocks with two replications. Rise in pasture height at the beginning of deferment decreased the appearance rate, increased the mortality rate and reduced the survival rate, the balance between appearance and mortality and the stability index of the tiller population at the beginning of the spring. Pastures deferred at initial height of 30 and 40 cm presented relatively stable tiller appearance rate between the beginning and end of spring. However, these pastures presented greater mortality rate, lower survival rate, lower balance between appearance and mortality and lower stability index of the tiller population at the beginning of spring when compared to rates at the end of spring. Pastures managed with shorter initial heights (10 and 20 cm) provided more tissue renewal in the subsequent growth season after their utilization in the winter.

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Com o objetivo de avaliar a produção e a composição química da forragem de milheto (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.), plantado durante os períodos de transição chuva/seca e seca/chuva, sem irrigação, foi conduzido um experimento na EPAMIG de Leopoldina-MG, durante o período de fevereiro a dezembro de 2006. Os tratamentos foram arranjados num esquema fatorial 3x5, com as cultivares de milheto Comum, BN2 e BRS1501, plantadas nos meses de fevereiro, março, abril, agosto e setembro. Não houve diferença entre as cultivares na produção de massa de forragem seca, com média de 4.010kg/ha. Houve diferenças entre as cultivares, somente, quanto aos teores de proteína bruta (PB) e digestibilidade in vitro da matéria seca (DIVMS). Os teores de PB, fibra em detergente neutro e digestibilidade in vitro da matéria seca variaram de 14,04 a 17,95%, 48,78 a 57,27% e 61,37 a 72,68%, respectivamente, de acordo com as cultivares e épocas de plantio. As diferenças entre as épocas de plantio foram significativas com a produção de massa de forragem seca de 3.941; 2.525; 4.316; 3.258 e 6.010kg/ha para o plantio em fevereiro, março, abril, agosto e setembro, respectivamente. Como a composição química das cultivares variou aleatoriamente com as épocas de plantio, qualquer uma das cultivares pode ser utilizada. A semeadura em setembro proporciona as melhores respostas em produção sem comprometer a composição química.