TITLE:
Structural Characteristics of Mulato Grass I under Different Cutting Heights
AUTHORS:
Leonardo Assis Dutra, Fabianno Cavalcante de Carvalho, Eneas Reis Leite, Magno José Duarte Cândido, João Ambrósio de Araújo Filho
KEYWORDS:
Grazing Management; Leaf/Stem Ratio; Tillers
JOURNAL NAME:
American Journal of Plant Sciences,
Vol.5 No.5,
March
12,
2014
ABSTRACT:
This work aimed to evaluate the effects of
different individual heights of cut on structural characteristics of Brachiaria hibrida cv. Mulato I in four periods of the year. The study was
carried out at the Fazenda Experimental Vale do Acaraú, in Sobral, Ceará,
Brazil, from January to December, 2008. The experimental design was a split plot, with the plots representing four pasture conditions through manual cuts of
10 cm, 20 cm, 30 cm and 40 cm heights, which were done every 30 days. Each
treatment had three replications. The subplots were represented by four periods
of evaluation: January-February-March, April-May-June, July-August-September and October-November-December. Fertilization was performed
with 350 kg of N/ha, divided into monthly applications. Irrigation was
conducted in alternate days during the dry season. The variables studied were:
mean height before cutting (cm); dry matter content (%); total dry matter
production (t/ha); percentage of leaves; percentage of stems; percentage of dead
material; leaf blade/stem ratios; number of total leaves per tiller; number of
live leaves per tiller; average size of leaves; and tiller density. Cutting at
10 cm caused a decrease in total dry matter production, underestimating the
potential production. Cutting heights between 20 and 30 cm contributed
positively to increase the total number of leaves, number of green leaves,
average size of the leafs and total dry matter production. Under the present
experimental conditions, cutting around 40 cm was not recommended because of a decreasing in
the leaf/stem ratio and a increasing in stem fraction and dry matter content, compromising the
structure of the canopy.