Productivity and nutritive value of brachiaria forage intercropping with eucalyptus in a silvopastoral system in the Brazilian Cerrado biome

Abstract

In the Brazilian Cerrado biome there are two major limitations to livestock production: low soil fertility and periods of low rainfall that may occur in all seasons of the year. The period when green forage is available to cattle can be extended if trees are cultivated in pasture lands, which creates a microclimate that would improve soil moisture retention and would contribute to soil nutrients cycling. An experiment was conducted in Confins, Minas Gerais state, Brazil in order to evaluate the forage produced in a 15 year silvopastoral system. The system was composed of Eucalyptus tree species (150 trees ha -1 ) and/or Urochloa brizantha (Stapf) Webster cv. Marandu forage. The pasture was sampled during the months of May, July and November of 2009, and forage production (quantitative and qualitative) and its bromatological composition were determined. The presence of trees in pasture did not reduce the production of dry matter forage during the studied period. Tree species also contributed to nutrient concentrations in forage, increasing levels of crude protein, mineral matter, phosphorus and calcium. In the area without trees, these levels were significantly lower than in the silvopastoral system. The silvopastoral system proved to be a sustainable option for animal production, contributing to the nutritive value of forage during the periods of insufficient rainfall.