Initial height of pasture deferred and utilized in winter and tillering dynamics of signal grass during the following spring

Tillering dynamics during regrowth in the spring (September to December 2009) on signal grass (Brachiaria decumbens cv. Basilisk) pastures deferred in the beginning of April 2009 is evaluated. Four pasture heights were evaluated at the beginning of deferment (10, 20, 30 and 40 cm). The experimental design consisted of completely randomized blocks with two replications. Rise in pasture height at the beginning of deferment decreased the appearance rate, increased the mortality rate and reduced the survival rate, the balance between appearance and mortality and the stability index of the tiller population at the beginning of the spring. Pastures deferred at initial height of 30 and 40 cm presented relatively stable tiller appearance rate between the beginning and end of spring. However, these pastures presented greater mortality rate, lower survival rate, lower balance between appearance and mortality and lower stability index of the tiller population at the beginning of spring when compared to rates at the end of spring. Pastures managed with shorter initial heights (10 and 20 cm) provided more tissue renewal in the subsequent growth season after their utilization in the winter.

Fungos e nematoides associados a sementes de forrageiras tropicais

This study aimed to assess the incidence of fungi and nematodes in Brachiaria sp. and Panicum maximum seeds produced in the Brazilian states of Mato Grosso do Sul (MS), Mato Grosso (MT), Goiás (GO), Minas Gerais (MG) and São Paulo (SP). The main fungi found in the seeds were Bipolaris sp., Curvularia sp. and Phoma sp.. The lowest incidence of these fungi was found for seeds of Brachiaria brizantha cultivars BRS Piatã and Xaraés, and Brachiaria decumbens cv. Basilisk, from the states of GO, MG and MS, respectively. The cultivars Marandu and BRS Piatã, from several regions, exhibited high occurrence of Aphelenchoides sp. and Ditylenchus sp.. Seeds of B. humidicola cultivar Humidicola, produced in MS and SP, did not show association with nematodes. The seeds of Panicum maximum cv. Massai and cv. Mombaça showed higher incidence of Bipolaris sp., Cladosporium sp., Curvularia sp., Fusarium sp. and Phoma sp., as well as Aphelenchoides sp. and Ditylenchus sp., especially for seeds produced in MT. Some of the detected pathogens are causative agents of diseases of major importance in forage plants, such as Bipolaris sp., causing leaf spot in Panicum, of high severity in Tanzânia, which provides serious compromising of the pasture sustainability.

Alterações morfoanatômicas foliares da cana-de-açúcar na fase de estabelecimento em condições de matocompetição

Aiming at the assessment of the production parameters and leaf tissues morph anatomical possible changes of the sugar cane RB 86 7515 variety in its establishment phase in the conditions of weed competition, a study over vases has been accomplished in the city of Dracena, São Paulo State, from April to June, 2010, at Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho. The species Brachiaria brizantha e Brachiaria decumbens, which are regarded as invaders, were used. It was also used the Completely Randomized Design with seven treatments and five repetitions, totalizing 35 lots or vases. The treatments ranged according to the number of Brachiaria brizantha and Brachiaria decumbens seeds, as it follows: T1 - no occurrence of weed competition; T2 - low occurrence of weed competition with Brachiaria brizantha; T3 - medium occurrence of weed competition with Brachiaria brizantha; T4 - high occurrence of weed competition with Brachiaria brizantha; T5 - low occurrence of weed competition with Brachiaria decumbens; T6 - medium occurrence of weed competition with Brachiaria decumbens, and T7 - high occurrence of weed competition with Brachiaria decumbens. There was an evaluation over the following issues after 60 days of the sugar cane plantation and the invading plants: the weight of the total dry matter of the plants, the thickness of the upper surface epidermis or adaxial, the thickness of the lower surface or abaxial, the thickness of the mesophill, the thickness of the limbo, the diameter of the xylematic vessels and the diameter of the phloem vessels. The weed competition of the species Brachiaria brizantha e Brachiaria decumbens, which are considered as invaders, provoked some reduction of the morph anatomical characteristics and of the sugar cane production. In general, the Brachiaria decumbens was the species which mostly influenced the leaf thickness of the sugar cane in negative aspects.

Efeito da cobertura do solo com palhiço de cana-de-açúcar na emergência de monocotiledôneas infestantes em campo

Pós-graduação em Agronomia (Agricultura) - FCA

Body Composition and Net Energy Requirements for Maintenance of Non-Castrated Water Buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis)

The research aimed to estimate body contents of protein and energy and net requirements of energy for maintenance of buffaloes, slaughtered at different stages of maturity. There were used 14 Mediterranean intact males with initial average body weight of 352.2 +/- 24.3 kg and average age of 24 months. The animais were randomly divided into four experimental groups. One group was designed to slaughter at the beginning of the experimental period (IS). The animals of another group were restricting fed, receiving, individually, levels of protein and energy 15% above maintenance (RF). The animals of the two remaining groups were individually fed ad libitum (SW450 and SW500) to reach weights corresponding to 100 and 110 percent of the mature weight of the buffalo cows (respectively 450 and 550 kg). The ration contained ground-corn cobs, soybean meal, urea, minerals, and signal-grass (Brachiaria decumbens) hay, with a concentrate: roughage ratio of 50: 50 and 13% of crude protein on a dry matter basis. To estimate changes in body composition inside the range of weights included in the trial, linear regression equations of log protein (kg), fat (kg) and energy (Mcal) as a function of log empty-body-weight (EBW), in kg, were fitted. Energy requirements for maintenance were obtained as estimated heat production at zero level of energy intake. Buffaloes submitted to fattening in feedlot presented early body fat deposition, and had with the same live weight lower protein content and higher fat content and energy per unit weight than european-zebu crossbred cattle.

Germoplasma do gênero Paspalum com potencial para produção de forragem

This study was carried out in Fazenda Canchim in Sao Carlos-SP, physical base of Embrapa Southeast Livestock, aiming to select, based on the agronomic characteristics of productivity of dry matter and quality of the forage, the accesses of suitable gender Paspalum for possessing potentiality of use as foraging plants. Were evaluated for 3 years, with 22 forage grasses, being 19 of Paspalum and three more of control species: Brachiaria decumbens, Andropogon gayanus cv. Baet and Panicum maximum cv. Tanzania, submitted to two intensification levels: high (fertilizer after each cut and supplemental irrigation) and low (only fertilizer of annual replacement without irrigation). The experimental design was of split blocks subdivided in the space and time with two replications. The studied variables were: dry matter production, in vitro dry matter digestibility and crude protein content. The results show that the accesses responded to the intensification level minimizing the negative effect of the stational production. Based on the studied variables, the selected accesses were: BRA-011401 (Paspalum glaucescens); BRA-011681 (P. atratum); BRA009661 (P. atratum) and BRA-019186 (P. regnellii).

Atributos químicos do solo, reservas orgânicas e sistema radicular de pastos degradados associada à introdução de leguminosa

The aim was to study the recovery of degraded pasture with the introduction of Stylosanthes macrocephala e capitata cv. Campo Grande on Brachiaria decumbens cv. Basilisk evaluating the levels N-total in roots, biomass, area, and length, diameter and root levels of macro and micronutrients in the soil. The experiment was conducted in the municipality of Andradina, Sao Paulo State, Brazil. The experimental design was a randomized block design in a split-plot (with and without phosphorus), with four replicates, forming the following treatments: control Brachiaria decumbens (CB), partial desiccation with 1.5 L ha(-1) of glyphosate (DP), total desiccation with 3.0 L ha(-1) of glyphosate (TD); tillage (T), soil scarification (S); harrowing rome (H) and plowing + disking (PD). Treatments H and PD were sown by broadcasting and the other in the form of direct seeding. Recovery strategies of grazing signal grass showed significant differences between treatments only for the content of N-total, there were no differences in geometric characteristics of roots and root biomass. The contents of macro and micronutrients in the soil showed no significant differences between the strategies of recovery. Fertilization had a significant effect for P. The introduction of estilosantes Campo Grande accompanied by techniques such as drying and plowing + disking contributed to increases in the N-total levels in the root system. Forms of introduction of legumes did not change the soil chemical properties.

CONTRIBUTION OF BASAL AND AERIAL TILLERS IN DYNAMICS OF HERBAGE PRODUCTION OF SIGNALGRASS AFTER GRAZING DEFERRED

During the spring, the understanding of regrowth in basal and aerial tillers of deferred pasture in winter it is necessary. Thus, the objective was to evaluate the morphogenesis and herbage accumulation during spring in Brachiaria decumbens cv. Basilisk (signalgrass) pasture used under deferred grazing in winter. The basal and aerial tillers in same pasture were evaluated. The signalgrass was managed with grazing cattle and with an average height of 25 cm. The randomized block design with three replications was adopted. The leaf appearance rate, phyllochron and the numbers of expanded, expanding and live leaves did not differ between basal and aerial tillers. The aerial tiller possessed lower rates of leaf senescence, of leaf elongation and of stem elongation, as well as lower number of dead leaf and stem and leaf lamina lengths, compared to basal tiller. The leaf lifespan was higher in aerial tillers than at basal. The basal tiller also contributed to higher rates of tissue growth and forage accumulation in pasture when compared to aerial tiller. After deferred grazing during the spring, the aerial tiller has low participation in forage production of signalgrass pasture.

Interferência de plantas daninhas no desenvolvimento inicial de mudas meristemáticas de cana-de-açúcar

Pós-graduação em Agronomia (Produção Vegetal) - FCAV

Lodo de esgoto e adubação mineral na recuperação de atributos químicos de solo degradado

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Retrieval of Trichostrongylus colubriformis infective larvae from grass contaminated in winter and in spring

The survival of infective larvae (L3) of Trichostrongylus colubriformis was evaluated on Brachiaria, Coast-cross and Aruana forage grasses. Feces of sheep parasitized exclusively by T. colubriformis were deposited in winter and spring on experimental plots whose grasses were cut at two heights: 5 cm and 30 cm. One, two, four, eight, 12 and 16 weeks after depositing the feces, fecal and forage samples were collected for the retrieval and quantification of L3. Retrieval of L3 from feces and forage was negligible in winter due to the dry weather, although a few larvae were retrieved in the last larval collections. However, L3 retrieval from fecal samples was greater in spring, especially two weeks after feces were deposited on 30 cm high grasses. At this time, the L3 retrieval rate from the three forage grasses differed significantly (P < 0.05), with Aruana grass showing the highest average L3 retrieval rate, followed by Coast-cross and Brachiaria. In conclusion, the winter drought proved very unfavorable for the presence of L3 in the environment, and the microclimate of Aruana pastureland was generally the most favorable for the retrieval of infective larvae.

Dinâmica de glyphosate em plantas de eucalipto

Pós-graduação em Agronomia (Proteção de Plantas) - FCA

Avaliações de estratégias de recuperação de pastagens com a introdução de leguminosas

Com o objetivo de avaliar a incidência populacional de plantas daninhas em diferentes manejos de implantação de Stylosanthes guianensis cv. Campo Grande em pastagem de Brachiaria decumbens. Realizou-se um experimento na AgênciaPaulista de Tecnologia dos AgronegóciosExtremo Oeste no município de Andradina/SP emfevereiro de 2011. Utilizou-se o delineamento experimental em blocos ao acaso em esquema de parcelas subdivididas, com quatro repetições e compostos por sete tratamentos (parcelas principais) e duas testemunhas: T1=Plantio direto com dessecação ½ dose de glifosato; T2=Plantio direto sem dessecação; T3=Plantio direto com escarificação do solo; T4=GradagemRome + Plantio direto; T5=Sistema convencional; T6=Brachiaria decumbens e T7= Estilosantes Campo Grande (dessecação com glifosato). Foi avaliado a massa seca de espécies infestantes em diferentes manejos de implantação de Estilosantes Campo Grande, aos 15 dias após semeadura. Os resultados foram submetidos à ANOVA para comparação múltipla de médias, a 5% de significância pelo teste de Tukey. Os T2, T3 e T6 apresentaram uma maior massa seca de espécies infestantes, foram diferentes estatisticamente dos demais (P<0,05), porém não houve diferença significativa entre eles (P>0,05). A massa seca das monocotiledôneas é praticamente toda de Brachiaria decumbens e das dicotiledôneas foi insignificante.

Suplementação com levedura de Crômio eleva a concentração sérica de Crômio em bovinos

This study evaluated the effect of daily chromium supplementation at growing doses on serum Cr levels in cattle. Sixty Nellore heifers 2 to 5 years old were randomly assigned to one of four groups (15 heifers/group) fed non-fertilized Brachiaria decumbens pasture. In the control group (Gc), the heifers received a mineral mixture without Cr. In the other groups, heifers received 0.59, 1.19 or 2.38 mg Cr+3/animal/day, groups G8,5, G17 and G34, respectively. Blood samples were collected on days 0, 30 and 60. Serum concentration of chromium was determined by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The chromium source used was the chromium yeast. The results do not support any significant difference (p>0.05) among serum chromium levels of heifers in groups Gc, G8,5, G17 and G34 at a same observation day. Only effect of supplementation time was detected in group G34. In this group there was significant increase (p<0,05) in the concentration serum chromium 60 days after the beginning of the experiment. Concluded Cr yeast can be used as the source of this mineral element for animals and supplementation with 2.38 mg/ cattle/day was the dose that most increased the serum concentration of Cr in Nellore cattle during the experimental period.

Avaliação de acessos de germoplasma do gênero Paspalum na Amazônia Oriental

This study was carried out at Campo Experimental do Cerrado in Embrapa Amapá, Brazil, aiming to select, based on the agronomic characteristics of productivity, dry matter and nutritional quality of the forage, the accesses of species from the genus Paspalum that possess potentiality of use as forage plants. During the years 2000, 2001 and 2002, 21 accesses of grasses were evaluated, including 18 of Paspalum and three control species: Brachiaria decumbens, Andropogon gayanus cv. Baetí and Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandú. The experimental design was complete randomized block with three replications. The variables studied were: production of dry matter, neutral detergent fiber on the dry matter, in vitro digestibility of dry matter and crude protein content in the dry matter. All the accesses showed marked reduction in productivity and quality of produced forage, when the climatic conditions became unfavorable, showing that Paspalum as the other tropical grasses have high seasonal production. Based on the variables studied, the selected accesses were P. guenoarum (BRA-014851), P. atratum (BRA-9661) and Paspalum sp. (BRA- 009407).