Tropical Forage Grasses Intercropped Under Lenient Grazing Intensities Promote Greater Soil Cover

Patrick Bezerra Fernandes,Gelson Dos Santos Difante,André Fischer Sbrissia,Maria Da Graça Morais,Cauby De Medeiros-Neto,Rodrigo Amorim Barbosa,Fábio Adriano Santos E Silva,Antônio Leandro Chaves Gurgel ,Juliana Caroline Santos Santana ,Henrique Jorge Fernandes ,Carolina Marques Costa

doi:10.5296/jas.v8i2.16121

Abstract

The diversity of grasses in the intercropping promotes greater soil cover regardless of the grazing intensity used. The aim was evaluated how cultivation systems (monoculture and intercropped) influence the proportion of soil discovered under different grazing intensities. The experiment was conducted at the premises of the Brazilian Agricultural Research Company. The pastures were combined two cultivation systems: monoculture of Panicum maximum cv. BRS Zuri; intercropping of Panicum maximum cv. BRS Zuri, Brachiaria brizantha cv. Xaraes and Brachiaria decumbens cv. Basilisk. Four evaluation cycles were performed, which totaled in 2136 observations. In the contrast between evaluation cycles, it is possible to infer that cycles II, III and IV have a negative effect in relation to cycle I, because after the first evaluation there is an increase in the proportion of soil discovered in the pastures studied. In relation to cultivation systems, the intercropped managed at high grazing intensities impacts negative effects, and it is possible to observe the highest values of uncovered soil, as well as the lowest tussock distribution values. The intercropping of tropical climate pastures has greater soil cover when managed in lenient grazing intensity.

Highlights

IntroductionAgricultural management stemming from the increase in straw in soil cover or incorporated enhances primary productivity, due to the positive influence on soil biology and chemical composition, in addition to promoting greater atmospheric carbon sequestration (Han et al 2018), to vegetation cover decreases to soil loss by erosion, reducing penetration resistance, positively impacting the root development of the plant (Cassol and Lima 2003; Theodoro et al 2018)
There was no interaction for grazing intensity and evaluation cycles, oscillations were observed between residual height targets, and there is disproportionate during evaluation cycles (Table 1)
In the contrast between evaluation cycles it is possible to infer that cycles II, III and IV have a negative effect in relation to cycle I (Table 5), because after the first evaluation there is an increase in the proportion of soil discovered in the pastures studied (Figure 2A)

Summary

Introduction

Agricultural management stemming from the increase in straw in soil cover or incorporated enhances primary productivity, due to the positive influence on soil biology and chemical composition, in addition to promoting greater atmospheric carbon sequestration (Han et al 2018), to vegetation cover decreases to soil loss by erosion, reducing penetration resistance, positively impacting the root development of the plant (Cassol and Lima 2003; Theodoro et al 2018). The mixing grasses belonging to different functional groups can improve natural resource uptake, at the same time, due to plant variability in the same physical space, promote reduction in spontaneous vegetation (Van Ruijven and Berendse, 2003; Cardinale et al 2007; Sanderson et al 2007; Duchini et al 2018). These events are observed only in temperate environments. The aim evaluated how cultivation systems (monoculture and intercropped) influence the proportion of soil discovered under different grazing intensities

Material and Methods

Evaluation cycles

Discussion