Caracterização de pastagem de Brachiaria decumbens Stapf. em sistemas silvipastoris

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the biomass, chemical composition of the fodder and litter, Morphophysiological response of the plant at different distances from the trees in silvopastoral systems and compare this system with the monoculture (full sun) Zona da Mata of PE. The treatments were: association of Brachiaria decumbens pasture with the following tree legumes: “Sabiá” (Mimosa caesalpiniifolia I.) and gliricidia [Gliricidia sepium (Jacq.) Kunth ex Walp] and two additional treatments B. decumbens in the grassy moccultivo being an exclusive without nitrogen fertilization and another formed by grass fertilized with 60 kg N / ha / year. Response variables were measured at 5 different points (0 , 1.3, 2.7, 4.1 and 5.5 m away from the tree legume row), and randomly in monoculture system. The following responses were measured: percentage of litter, stem, leaf, canopy height, leaf area index (LAI), light interception (LI), herbage mass, N concentration in Brachiaria decumbens, SPAD index, litter mass, litter N, and soil fertility. Triple interaction (distance x grazing cycle x species) occurred for percentage of leaf litter, litter N, and light interception. The remaining variables showed interaction between distance x grazing cycle, except for the percentage of litter that showed significant differences (P <0.05) only among grazing cycles. Soil fertility did not differ (P < 0.05). Generally, there was an increase in the values of canopy height, LAI and LI with increasing distance from trees. Forage and litter N as well as SPAD index were higher near the tree double rows. In different periods of evaluation shows the contrast (P = 0.0001) than in silvopastoral systems N content in Brachiaria decumbens was higher when compared to monoculture with and without fertilizer, except in September 2010 and February 2011, Brachiaria decumbens in monoculture receiving N fertilization showed higher concentrations of N (1.02 and 1.7%, respectively) compared to silvopastoral system; Brachiaria intercropped with ‘Sabiá’ showed 0.9 and 1.64% for the months of September 2010 and February 2011, respectively. In silvopastoral system, there are influences of the tree component on most of the characteristics of the pasture according to the distance from the row of trees. The presence of trees in silvopastoral system promotes greater deposition of N via litter may contribute to long-term sustainability of the system.