Pesquisa Agropecuária Gaúcha (Mar 2023)

Productivity and nutritional value of elephant grass BRS Kurumi subjected to different proportions of defoliation

  • Patricia Pinto da Rosa,
  • Bianca Pio Ávila,
  • Rudolf Brand Scheibler,
  • Alexsandro Bahr Kröning,
  • Janaína Sauthier,
  • Guilherme Henrique Scheffler,
  • Jorge Schafhauser Junior,
  • Otoniel Geter Lauz Ferreira

DOI
https://doi.org/10.36812/pag.202329116-31
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 29, no. 1

Abstract

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The objective of this paper was to evaluate productivity, nutritional value of forage and tillering of elephant grass cv. BRS Kurumi under different pre-defoliation and post-defoliation canopy heights (residual height). The experimental design consisted in a randomized complete block design, with four replications. Treatments corresponded to the factorial combination of two pre‐defoliation heights (60 and 80 cm) and three post-defoliation residue heights (10, 25 and 40 cm), combined in factorial design 2 x 3, being, respectively, 60 x 10 cm; 60 x 25 cm; 60 x 40 cm; 80 x 10 cm; 80 x 25 cm; 80 x 40 cm. Productive, bromatological, carbohydrate fractionation and in situ degradability characteristics were evaluated. Results indicated that if the objective is to seek short intervals between grazing, associated with higher forage quality, the 60 x 25, 60 x 40 and 80 x 40 managements are the most indicated ones. For maximum forage productivity, 80 x 10 and 80 x 25 are the most recommended ones. For tillering, a canopy height management of 80 cm is preferred, with 80 x 25 for aerial tillers and 80 x 40 for basal tillers.

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