Fertilization of Tifton 85 with Swine Liquid Manure

Abstract

The objective was to verify the possibility of supplying the nutritional requirement of Tifton 85 grass with swine liquid manure in an intensive management system. The experiment was carried out in a randomized block design, with four treatments of swine liquid manure doses: 0, 70, 140 and 210 m 3 •ha −1 , divided into seven applications and a treatment of mineral fertilization of 200 kg of nitrogen ha −1 •year −1. Samples of the collected plant material were weighed to obtain fresh mass taken for drying and then ground for bromatological determination. The dry mass production data were obtained by dry matter accumulation during the cuts and averages were made for the variables; plant height, crude protein, NDF, ADF, neutral detergent insoluble protein (NDIP) and acid detergent insoluble protein (ADIP). The data were subjected to variance analysis, performing regression for swine liquid manure doses and averages test (Dunnett test) to compare the doses with the mineral fertilization. Higher plant heights, dry mass production, crude protein content, neutral detergent insoluble protein content and lower neutral detergent fiber content in Tifton 85 grass were observed with mineral fertilization. In the variables, acid detergent fiber and acid detergent insoluble protein there was no difference (P = 0.05) between the mineral fertilization and the swine liquid manure doses. There was a linear increase (P = 0.05) of swine liquid manure doses only in dry matter production. Swine liquid manure doses up to 210 m 3 •ha −1 •year −1 do not meet the entire nutritional requirement of Tifton 85 grass, recommending the evaluation of higher swine liquid manure doses or complementation with mineral fertilization.