Urochloa Grass Growth as a Function of Nitrogen and Phosphorus Fertilization

Abstract

The urochloa grass (Urochloa mosambicensis) is a perennial grass, C4 plant, with a high photosynthetic rate and CO2 fixation, persistent to water deficit, adapted to a wide diversity of soils and hot climate regions. Thus, the objective was to evaluate the urochloa grass growth and define the best models to estimate plant height as a function of nitrogen and phosphate fertilization. The experimental design was completely randomized, in the 2 x 2 factorial design (presence and absence of nitrogen presence and absence of phosphorus), with four replications. Was used a dose of nitrogen and phosphorus equivalent to 100 kg.ha-1 of N and 150 kg.ha-1 of P2O5, respectively. The following models were used: linear, power, gamma andlogistic to estimate plant height as a function of the following explanatory variables: days after planting, nitrogen and phosphorus doses. The criteria used to determine the best model(s) were as follows: higher adjusted coefficient of determination, lower Akaike information criterion, lower sum of square of residuals and high Willmott index. The plant height in the absence of nitrogen and phosphorus and when applied 100 kg.ha-1 of N and 150 kg.ha-1 of P2O5 was estimated more accurately by the Gamma model with high power of explanation. The adoption of the Gamma model allows to estimate the U. mosambicensis plant height, in a non-destructive manner, with high precision, speed and low cost, depending of age plant and nitrogen and phosphate fertilization.