Mowing and lowering the marandu palisadegrass sward height at late winter improve the sward structure

Abstract

The structure of the sward is important because it influences the responses of plants and animals in grazing conditions. The objective with this work was to evaluate the structural characteristics of the Marandu palisade grass pasture (Brachiaria brizantha syn. Urochloa brizantha) during spring and summer, depending on the condition of the sward at the end of winter. Four grazing conditions at the end of winter were evaluated: short (24.1 cm), short (25.2 cm)/mown (8 cm), tall (49.0 cm) and tall (50.0 cm)/mown (8 cm). The foliar area index was lower in the tall pasture than in the tall/mown pasture. The mass and the volumetric density of dead stem were higher in the tall pasture, intermediate in the short pasture, and lower in mowed pastures. At the beginning of the grazing period, the live stem mass was higher in the tall pasture. At the beginning and middle of the grazing period, the volumetric density of dead leaf lamina was lower in mowed pastures. At the beginning of the pasture period, the short pasture had a higher tiller number (TN). In the middle of the grazing period, the short and short/mown pastures had higher TN. At the end of the pasture period, the lowest TN value occurred in the tall pasture. The tall pasture at the end of winter presents an unfavorable structure to the animal in grazing, while the mowing and reduction in the height of the marandu palisade grass improves the structure of the sward in spring and summer.

O manejo de desfolhação em estações prévias e o corte de uniformização modificam o desenvolvimento do capim-marandu?

“…Tal efeito pode ser justificado pela estrutura de pasto que foi formada no inverno, com menor porção de material morto nesse estrato, e que após quatro meses, ainda demonstrou influenciar a morfologia do capim-marandu. Santos et al (2020c) realizaram estudo para avaliar como a condição no final do inverno de dosséis com capim-marandu manejados previamente sob pastejo diferido influencia a estrutura dos pastos na primavera e verão subsequentes. Para isso, foram criadas quatro diferentes estruturas de pasto no fim do inverno: baixo, médio, alto e alto/roçado.…”