Effect of Nitrogen Fertilization on Production, Chemical Composition and Morphogenesis of Guinea Grass in the Humid Tropics

Oliveira, Joelma K. S. de; Corrêa, Darlena C. da C.; Cunha, Antônio M. Q.; Rêgo, Aníbal C. do; Faturi, Cristian; Silva, Wilton L. da; Domingues, Felipe N.

doi:10.3390/agronomy10111840

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Nitrogen Fertilization on Production, Chemical Composition and Morphogenesis of Guinea Grass in the Humid Tropics

by

Joelma K. S. de Oliveira

¹,

Darlena C. da C. Corrêa

¹,

Antônio M. Q. Cunha

¹,

Aníbal C. do Rêgo

²

,

Cristian Faturi

²,

Wilton L. da Silva

³

and

Felipe N. Domingues

^2,*

¹

Instituto de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Pará, Avenida dos Universitários, s/n, Bairro Jaderlândia, Castanhal, PA CEP: 68746-360, Brazil

²

Instituto da Saúde e Produção Animal, Universidade Federal Rural da Amazônia, Avenida Presidente Tancredo Neves, n° 2501, Bairro Terra Firme, Belém, PA CEP: 66077-830, Brazil

³

Departamento de Zootecnia, Escola de Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Avenida Esperança, s/n, Campus Samambaia, Goiânia, GO CEP: 74690-900, Brazil

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Agronomy 2020, 10(11), 1840; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10111840

Submission received: 22 August 2020 / Revised: 29 September 2020 / Accepted: 6 October 2020 / Published: 23 November 2020

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Paradigms in Sustainable Forage-Livestock Production Systems)

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Abstract

The use of nitrogen fertilization in tropical grasslands is a strategy that may reduce the pressure of livestock production on biome areas with humid forests. The objective of this study was to assess the use of different doses of nitrogen in Guinea grass (Megathyrsus maximus (Jacq.) con. Mombasa) cultivated in the humid tropics. Doses of 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 kg of N ha⁻¹ application⁻¹ were applied during two consecutive years in experimental plots. The experimental area is located in the northeast of Pará, Brazil, with a predominantly tropical climate according to the Köppen classification. The morphogenic, production, and qualitative characteristics of the forage were evaluated. The morphogenic variables, rate of leaf appearance and rate of leaf elongation, in addition to daily accumulation of forage and crude protein content, increased with increasing doses of nitrogen. The morphological structure of the pasture was not modified. The number of cuts increased, whereas the number of days of recovery decreased, in the rainy season with increasing doses of nitrogen. The use of nitrogen fertilization does not alter the structure of the pasture; however, it improves the morphogenic, production, and chemical characteristics of Guinea grass.

Keywords: Af climate; crop-livestock; dry season; fertilizer; rainy season

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MDPI and ACS Style

Oliveira, J.K.S.d.; Corrêa, D.C.d.C.; Cunha, A.M.Q.; Rêgo, A.C.d.; Faturi, C.; Silva, W.L.d.; Domingues, F.N. Effect of Nitrogen Fertilization on Production, Chemical Composition and Morphogenesis of Guinea Grass in the Humid Tropics. Agronomy 2020, 10, 1840. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10111840

AMA Style

Oliveira JKSd, Corrêa DCdC, Cunha AMQ, Rêgo ACd, Faturi C, Silva WLd, Domingues FN. Effect of Nitrogen Fertilization on Production, Chemical Composition and Morphogenesis of Guinea Grass in the Humid Tropics. Agronomy. 2020; 10(11):1840. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10111840

Chicago/Turabian Style

Oliveira, Joelma K. S. de, Darlena C. da C. Corrêa, Antônio M. Q. Cunha, Aníbal C. do Rêgo, Cristian Faturi, Wilton L. da Silva, and Felipe N. Domingues. 2020. "Effect of Nitrogen Fertilization on Production, Chemical Composition and Morphogenesis of Guinea Grass in the Humid Tropics" Agronomy 10, no. 11: 1840. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10111840

APA Style

Oliveira, J. K. S. d., Corrêa, D. C. d. C., Cunha, A. M. Q., Rêgo, A. C. d., Faturi, C., Silva, W. L. d., & Domingues, F. N. (2020). Effect of Nitrogen Fertilization on Production, Chemical Composition and Morphogenesis of Guinea Grass in the Humid Tropics. Agronomy, 10(11), 1840. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10111840

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Effect of Nitrogen Fertilization on Production, Chemical Composition and Morphogenesis of Guinea Grass in the Humid Tropics

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