Aspectos produtivos da inclusão de mistura de leguminosas forrageiras em pastagem de capim-marandu

Abstract

Increasing productivity with reduced dependence on nitrogen fertilization is one of the main challenges for modern agricultural systems. In this sense, it was hypothesized that mixing legumes with different propagation and growth habits can increase their potential use in intercropped systems with grasses. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of marandu grass intercropping with a combination of forage legumes on productive traits. A randomized block design was used in a 2 × 2 factorial scheme, whose factors were: insertion or not of forage peanut and insertion or not of Java in marandu grass pasture, with three replications. Canopy height, forage mass and forage accumulation rate were evaluated. Data were analyzed using the MIXED procedure of SAS and for Student's t test was used to calculate the averages and compare them. Significance was set at P ≤ 0.10. There was a gradual increase in total forage mass (MFT) in pre-grazing over time, however, there was no treatment effect for MFT. The highest MFT and Total Green Forage Mass (MFV) occurred in the fifth cycle, with 8880 and 5913 kg.ha-1, respectively, and the lowest in the second grazing cycle, with 4331 and 1590 kg.ha-1 respectively. Higher grass forage mass (MFG) were obtained in the control treatment (4414 kg.ha-1) and B. brizantha cv. Marandu + A. pintoi cv. BRS Mandobi + M. axillare cv. Java (MAJ; 3552 kg.ha-1), while B. brizantha cv. Marandu + A. pintoi cv. BRS Mandobi (MA), MAJ and B. brizantha cv. Marandu + M. axillare cv. Java (MJ), showed no difference between them. The Grass accumulation rate (TAG) did not differ between MA, MAJ and MJ, and was higher in the control treatment (43,4 kg.ha-1.day-1). The ideal proportion of legume in the pasture was achieved by forage peanuts 13 months after implementation. Cultivar Java showed low proportions in the first grazing cycles.