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

Abstract

ABSTRACT: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.

Agrometeorological and Agronomic Characterization of Megathyrsus Grasses Cultivated in Tropical Humid and Semi-Arid Conditions: A Multivariate Approach

“…The experimental design was completely randomized with two repetitions and evaluations at each regrowth cycle lasting 22, 18, 16, and 13 days for the control treatments (without fertilization), and 400, 800, and 1,200 kg of nitrogen fertilization, respectively. The experiment was conducted at FEIGA from July 14, 2009, to October 18, 2009 For more details on this study, see Lopes et al (2016).…”

Yield and chemical composition of massai grass fertilized with nitrogen

“…The need to intensify grazing production systems has increased the demand for studies on forage cultivars and their responses to intensive management. Massai grass (Megathyrsus maximus) has been shown to be promising and well adapted to intensive management because of its great capacity to emit leaves (Lopes et al, 2013a) and tillers (Lopes et al, 2016) and its quick regrowth after cutting or grazing (Lopes et al, 2011).…”

Frequência de desfolhação e nitrogênio como determinantes do perfilhamento e do acúmulo de forragem do capim BRS Zuri sob lotação rotativa

“…. No entanto,Lopes et al (2016) citandoAuda et al (1966) eMoreira et al (2009) atrelaram efeito positivo indireto da mortalidade de perfilhos oriundo da fertilização com N, em que a maior competição por nutrientes de maneira geral, pode estimular o turvor de tecidos, causando a morte de perfilhos mais velhos e assim, estimulando o aparecimento de novos perfilhos.…”