Ciclagem de nutrientes em pastagens de gramíneas tropicais manejadas sob diferentes intensidades de pastejo

Abstract

This study was carried out at the Experimental Station of the Agronomic Institute of Pernambuco (IPA) in Itambé, dry Forest Zone of Pernambuco. Two grazing trials were performed. The first one evaluated nutrient deposition via animal excreta on grazed Pennisetum purpureum Schum. pastures; the second one characterized the soil and theroot system of two tropical grasses under different grazing intensities. Pastures of Pennisetum purpureum Schum clone IRI 381 were submitted to different post-grazing stubble heights (40, 80, and 120 cm) and Brachiaria decumbens Stapf. pastures under different stocking rates (2, 4, and 6 AU/ ha). A rotational stocking was applied with grazing cycle of 35 days ( 32 days resting period and three days of grazing period) in the rainy season and 70 days (67 days resting period and three days of grazing period) in the dry season. Crossbred Holstein-Zebu cattle were used as experimental animals. A complete randomized blocks design was used, with three replications per treatment. The amount of excreta returned to the pasture and chemical composition of urine and feces were evaluated in seven different sampling periods. In addition, soil fertility, soil physics, and root system variables were also measured at different soil layers. The average concentration of minerals in feces, varied according to the period of assessment with average values of 16,0; 1,7; 0,20, 9,67, 5,77, and 5,24 g/kg for N, P, Na, K, Ca and Mg, respectively. Mineral concentrations in urine were 2,99; 1,11; 34,86; 0,29 and 0,23 g/L of N, Na, K, Ca and Mg, respectively. The post-grazing stubble heights affected only the concentration of N and Mg in the dung, where the treatment with 40 cm postgrazing stubble height presented higher concentration of these nutrients. Return of nitrogen through dung and urine contributed with 506 g N/ha.day, 47% of this via urine and 53% via dung. The N, K and Na (89%, 95% and 96%) returned mainly via urine; Ca and Mg (78 e 81%) returned mainly via dung. Phosphorus was found only in dung. The return of N was similar in feces and urine. Characteristics of the soil and root system were not affected by post-grazing stubble heights and stocking rates. The top soil layer (0-20 cm) showed greater root length (59 and 54cm/200 g soil), root length density (0,37 and 0,33 cm/cm3), and root biomass (2,04 and 2,84 T/ha), and carbon storage (61 and 91 Mg.ha-1), respectively to elephant grass and Brachiaria. The samelayer (0-20) presented higher soil P concentration regardless of the grass. Brachiaria accumulated more carbon in the soil due to its greater capacity of soil coverage, with greater C stock at the 0-20 cm soil layer. The root system of both species were mainly in the 0-20 cm soil layer, however, B. decumbens presented greater root biomass in the deeper soil layers (40-100 cm) compared to P. purpureum. Based on the observed results, nutrient return via animal excreta is of great importance for maintaining pasture ecosystem, mainly due to deposition of N, P, and K. Future researches aiming to improve excreta distribution on pasture surface must be performed, maximizing nutrient return and reducing application of chemical fertilizers.