Abstract
The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of five nitrogen doses on the productive and quality characteristics and the use efficiency of Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu grass. The treatments consisted of four doses of nitrogen (0, 60, 120, 180 and 240 kg ha-1), distributed through a completely randomized design with four replicates. Samples of the material were collected to analyze productivity variables, concentrations of neutral detergent fiber, crude protein and neutral detergent insoluble nitrogen, and in vitro dry matter digestibility. The nitrogen use efficiency, recovery of the applied nitrogen (RAN) and agronomic efficiency of the applied nitrogen (AE) were calculated. Dry mass production increased by 1,624.67 (kg/ha) as the nitrogen doses were increased. The doses of nitrogen affected the concentrations of neutral detergent fiber (from 294.6 to 381.4 g.kg-1, in the leaf), crude protein (from 86.1 to 99.6 g.kg-1, in the leaf) and neutral detergent insoluble protein (from 402.9 to 396.2 g.kg-1 CP, in the leaf). Nitrogen use efficiency increased, whereas RAN and AE were not affected by the nitrogen doses. Nitrogen fertilization promotes improvement in productivity and chemical composition of Marandu grass, also improving the efficiency with which the grass utilizes the nitrogen.
Highlights
The pasture is the foundation of the cattle farming system in Brazil, having an important role in the profitability and sustainability of this system
The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of five nitrogen doses on the productive and quality characteristics and the use efficiency of Brachiaria brizantha cv
The doses of nitrogen affected the concentrations of neutral detergent fiber, crude protein and neutral detergent insoluble protein
Summary
The pasture is the foundation of the cattle farming system in Brazil, having an important role in the profitability and sustainability of this system. Rational exploitation of the pasture requires caution, especially regarding the supply of nutrients at the adequate quantity and proportion to the plants. Among these nutrients, nitrogen (N) is largely responsible for the productivity and quality of the forage plant (Batista and Monteiro, 2006). N takes on fundamental importance in the production process of grasses, since the soil nitrogen, originating from the mineralization of the organic matter, is not sufficient to meet the requirements of grasses with a high productive potential (Fagundes et al, 2006). Nitrogen is properly used when the producer aims at increasing the recovery of the N applied in the soil-plant system minimizing the losses of the fertilizing nitrogen without causing damages to the environment
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