Marandu palisade grass intercropped with densely spaced teak in silvopastoral system

Abstract

This study was conducted to evaluate two systems of production: integration between teak and forage (silvopastoral system) and forage only (monoculture). The forage species used was Marandu palisade grass (Urochloa brizantha cv. Marandu). In January 2009, part of the pasture was desiccated and the teak (Tectona grandis) was implemented in a 3 × 4 m spacing arrangement, and at every five rows, a space between rows of 6 m was established, providing a population of 750 trees per hectare. Alongside the development of the trees, the Marandu palisade grass pasture was reestablished. In February 2015, the animals were removed from the experimental area and, in March, the pasture degradation, the density and the mass of tillers was assessed. The following variables were evaluated: sward height; forage mass, percentage of leaf blade, stem+sheath and senescent material; leaf blade:stem+sheath ratio; and live:dead material ratio. The experimental design was completely randomized, with 12 replicates. Treatments consisted of two systems (silvopastoral and monoculture). The total forage accumulation was higher in the monoculture system. The sward height and the percentage of stem+sheath were higher in the integrated system, while the percentage of leaf blade and the leaf blade:stem+sheath ratio were higher in the system exclusively with forage. In conclusion, Marandu palisade grass tolerates shading in a high density spacing silvopastoral system, but the degradation process is more intense compared to grass in monoculture, and the use of Marandu palisade grass in silvopastoral systems changes the forage mass and the structure of the produced forage. Key words: Forage participation. Shading. Soil cover. Tectona grandis. Urochloa brizantha. ResumoEste trabalho foi realizado para avaliar dois sistemas de produção: integração entre teca e forragem (silvipastoril) e somente forragem (monocultivo e a cada cinco linhas estabeleceu-se um espaçamento de 6 m entre linhas, o que garantiu uma população de 750 árvores por hectare. Paralelamente ao desenvolvimento das árvores houve o restabelecimento do pasto de capim-Marandu. Em fevereiro de 2015, retirou-se os animais da área e em março avaliou-se o estádio de degradação do pasto, a densidade e a massa de perfilhos. Avaliou-se também a altura do dossel forrageiro, a massa de forragem e as porcentagens de: lâmina foliar, colmo+bainha e material morto, a relação lâmina foliar/colmo+bainha e a relação vivo/não vivo. O delineamento experimental foi inteiramente casualizado, com dois tratamentos (silvipastoril e monocultivo) e doze repetições. A massa de forragem foi maior no sistema com monocultivo de capim-Marandu. A altura da forragem e a porcentagem de colmo + bainha foram maiores no sistema silvipastoril, já a porcentagem de lâmina foliar e a relação lâmina:colmo+bainha foram maiores para o sistema com monocultivo. Conclui-se que o capim-marandu tolera o sombreamento em sistema silvipastoril adensado, contudo o processo de degradação é mais intenso do que o capim em monocultivo ...

Chemical composition of marandu palisade grass fertilized with nitrogen and potassium

“…The same occurred in the dry period, with a 9.52% reduction in the iNDF content (Table 3). The results obtained indicate adequate content for good forage intake by ruminants, according to Cabral et al (2017) and Sales et al (2020).…”

Growth and Structural Development of Tectona grandis in Different Cultivation Systems in Brazil

“…Although, we did not aim at assessing the forage production (U. brizantha) as a function of sowing density, period of coexistence and distance of trees, studies with these objectives are recommended, since the competition with the trees can significantly reduce the production and the nutritional quality of the forage (Cabral et al, 2017), especially in crops with higher density of forage plants (Bacha, Pereira, Pires, Nepomuceno, & Alves, 2016;Pereira, Souza, Silva, & Martins, 2011).…”

Evaluation of marandu palisadegrass regrowth intervals in silvopastoral and monoculture systems

“…However, inadequate management leads to pasture degradation, necessitating the renewal or recovery of approximately 8 million hectares annually, often within integrated systems like silvopastoral systems (Jank et al, 2014). Silvopastoral systems (SPS) integrate trees, pastures, and livestock in a single area, optimizing the use of soil, plants, and animals (Cabral et al, 2017).…”

“…Long deferment periods can reduce the palatability and nutritional value of the forage, characterized by decreased green leaf content (Oliveira et al, 2020;Di Loreto et al, 2019). In SPS, excessive shade can negatively affect forage quality, leading to stem elongation and higher fiber content, which are not ideal for animal consumption (Cabral et al, 2017;Gomes et al, 2019).…”