Deposição e decomposição de serrapilheira de leguminosas arbóreas consorciadas com Brachiaria decumbens Stapff

Abstract

Studying about litter dynamics in silvopastoral systems is critical to estimate the natural return of nutrients to the soil and reduce the use of nitrogen fertilizers. This research evaluated litter deposition, litter decomposition, and nitrogen contents of gliricidia [Gliricidia sepium (Jacq.) Kunth ex Walp.] and sabia (Mimosa caesalpiniifolia Benth) intercropped with signal grass (Brachiaria decumbens Stapff.). The research was performed at the experimental research station of Itambe, conducted in the Agronomic Institute of Pernambuco (IPA).The randomized block design with a split plot arrangement was used. The main plots were the legumes intercropped with to grass and the subplots were the distances from the trees trunk. Senescent material was collected manually in a wood gatherers of 0.25m2 every month, in a perpendicular transect across the tree rows (between the tree rows, 2.0 m and 4.0 m away from the trees rows), during one year. The material collected was dried in a forced circulation oven for 72 h at 55°C, and later separated into four fractions (leaf, stem, reproductive structures and unrecognized), and weighed to determine the dry biomass, then the contents were milled in a grinder type Willey with 1 mm sieve for analysis of nitrogen content. Litter decomposition was evaluated by litter bag technique with a mesh of 75 μm and litter samples were collected from both species and incubated for 0, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128 and 256 days. The bags were incubated in the same spots of wood gatherers. The litterbags were collected and dried in a forced circulation oven for 72 h at 55°C. The remaining material was used to determine N concentration. The annual deposition of litter fractions (leaves + branches + reproductive structures) between the rows of trees, two meters and four meters of rows of trees by sabia was (18,170 kg OM ha-1, 9,200 kg OM ha-1 OM and 4,200 kg ha-1) and by gliricidia (11,000 kg ha-1 OM, 2,480 kg OM ha-1 and 1,160 kg ha-1 OM). The annual contribution of these fractions in the three distances was 610 kg ha-1 of N by sabia and 450 kg ha-1 of N by gliricidia. For both legumes, the sheet fraction dominated entire contents of the litter, followed by the fraction branches, reproductive structures and unidentifiable structures. The annual deposit by unrecognized structures in the three respective distances, by sabia was (445 kg OM ha-1, 245 kg OM ha-1 and 90 kg OM ha-1) and by gliricidia (180 kg OM ha-1, 90 kg OM ha-1 and 45 kg OM ha-1). It was not quantified the nitrogen supply to these fractions. The sabia deposited larger amounts of litter in the months with less rainfall. The gliricidia litter deposition was not influenced by rain. The decomposition rates was greater to sabia (k=0,0055 g.g-1.dia-1) than gliricidia (k=0,0022 g.g-1.dia-1). The nitrogen mineralization to sabia was 77% and to gliricidia it was 50% leading a system contribution of 50 kg de N e 64 kg de N, respectively, during 256 days. The nitrogen from legume's litter is an important alternative to reduce chemical nitrogen use.