Productivity and quality of Mombasa grass under fertilization with pig deep-litter and NPK

Marina Da C Guerrero,Tiago R De Sousa,Saulo A De Oliveira,Adilson Pelá,Rômulo R Caldeira

doi:10.1590/1807-1929/agriambi.v24n7p437-443

Marina Da C Guerrero, Tiago R De Sousa + Show 3 more

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https://doi.org/10.1590/1807-1929/agriambi.v24n7p437-443

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Abstract

ABSTRACT The use of pig deep-litter (PDL) in pasture fertilization can be an important alternative from an environmental and economic point of view. This study was conducted to evaluate the fertilization with PDL exclusively or in association with mineral fertilizers on the quality and productivity of Panicum maximum cv. Mombasa. The experiment was carried out in Ipameri, GO, Brazil. The design was a randomized block design in a 2 x 5 factorial scheme with four repetitions, in plots of 24 m². The doses of PDL (0; 5; 10; 15 and 20 Mg ha-1) were tested, with or without fertilization with NPK (50 kg ha-1 of P2O5, 10 kg ha-1 of K2O and 10 kg ha-1 of N). The organic fertilizer was applied broadcast at the planting of the pasture, and the mineral fertilizers were split and applied at planting and as topdressing. Dry mass, crude protein, acid detergent fiber and neutral detergent fiber were evaluated. PDL doses associated with mineral fertilization led to linear increases from 52 to 282% in the analyzed variables and better bromatological composition. PDL application is beneficial to the production of pastures, and increasing applications up to the PDL dose of 20 Mg ha-1 associated with mineral fertilization promoted better quantitative and qualitative results. With exclusive fertilization with PDL, the gains in quality and productivity were more modest.

Highlights

In Brazil, pasture is the main food source for most of the cattle herd, mainly because it provides lower production cost
This study aimed to evaluate the effect of pig deep-litter (PDL), exclusively or associated with mineral fertilizers, on the productive and qualitative characteristics of Panicum maximum cv
The F test was significant at p ≤ 0.01 for the variables dry mass production (DM), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF) and FTMS, for the effects of mineral fertilization, for PDL doses, as well as for the interaction between both, in all cuttings and in the total, except for the MF x PDL interaction for NDF in the 1st and 4th cuts and ADF in the 1st and 3rd cuts, which had no significant effect

Summary

Introduction

In Brazil, pasture is the main food source for most of the cattle herd, mainly because it provides lower production cost. According to Carvalho et al (2017), it is estimated that 80% of the 50-60 million hectares of pasture cultivated in the Central region of Brazil are in some state of degradation. In the Cerrado, the introduction of selected forage plants enabled significant gains in the animal stocking rate compared to native species (Martha Júnior & Vilela, 2002). Mombasa) is considered one of the most productive tropical forage species available to livestock farmers. In situations of low fertility, production is reduced, as the forage is demanding in terms of soil fertility (Freitas et al, 2007)

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