Acúmulo de biomassa, composição química e digestibilidade de capim-massai (Panicum maximum) consorciado com milho e leguminosas forrageiras

Abstract

The experiment was conducted from December 2007 to June 2011 in Campo Grande - MS, being established in soil classified as sandy clay loam soil textural class of sandy-clay. The objective was to evaluate the use of legumes (five woody species: Albizia lebbeck, Cratylia argentea, Dipteryx Allata (Baru), Leucaena hybrid (L. Leucocephala + L. diversifolia) and Leucaena leucocephala cv. Cunningham and herbaceous Arachis pintoi) in consortium with Panicum maximum cv. Massai, deployed together with the corn. The experimental design was randomized blocks with four replicates. The corn yield (kg.ha-1), the dry weight of straw, cobs and stubble were evaluated in May 2008. Five cuts were performed to evaluate the accumulation of dry biomass massaigrass and two cuts in the evaluation of the accumulation of woody legumes during the establishment phase of the consortium. At this stage, we verified the viability of integration systems, where productivity of maize grain and total dry matter accumulation in the consortia were considered satisfactory, in spite of negative interference in yield compared to sole maize. The massaigrass its growth was limited when grown in intercrop with maize, compared to massaigrass in monoculture. The intercropping of maize and massaigrass with woody legumes (Leucaena leucocephala cv. Cunningham, Albizia lebbeck and Leucaena hybrid), showed good levels of production. The Cratylia argentea had low biomass accumulation during the establishment phase and not Baru has the potential to make this type of consortium. The assessments of biomass accumulation and feeding value of forage taken after the corn harvest, the maintenance phase of the consortia, occurred from June 2008 to October 2010. It was found that the corn crop residues provided good conditions for growth massaigrass during the dry season. Consortia of massaigrass with woody legumes, with the exception of Baru, are considered viable, confirming the benefits of deploying this type of production system. The Leucaena leucocephala cv. Cunningham and Leucaena hybrid had the highest concentrations among forage legumes studied, and also provided the best value from the food arrangements tested. The Arachis pintoi has a small share in total forage accumulation, with higher growth over time, suggesting that its establishment is slow. Therefore, the system's integration with the corn and leucenas massaigrass is feasible; these legume species have similar performance to massaigrass monoculture receiving high nitrogen fertilization.