MULTISPECIES PASTURES: ASSESSMENT OF DIVERSITY OF FUNCTIONAL GROUPS IN THE ABILITY OF FORAGE SYSTEMS TO DELIVER ECOSYSTEM SERVICES

• Grant number: 21/04787-1
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: May 01, 2025
• End date: April 30, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Animal Husbandry - Pastures and Forage Crops
• Principal Investigator: Flávia Fernanda Simili
• Grantee: Flávia Fernanda Simili
• Host Institution: Instituto de Zootecnia. Agência Paulista de Tecnologia dos Agronegócios (APTA). Secretaria de Agricultura e Abastecimento (São Paulo - Estado). Nova Odessa , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Flavia Maria de Andrade Gimenes ; José Carlos Batista Dubeux Junior ; Mara Regina Moitinho ; Márcia Saladini Vieira Salles ; Teresa Cristina Tarlé Pissarra ; Terezinha Monteiro dos Santos Cividanes

Abstract

In Brazil, the cattle production system is carried out mainly in monoculture pastures of tropical grass (Brachiaria spp and Panicum spp), which currently, has generated concern from an environmental and productive point of view. The use of multispecies pastures can be an alternative for environmental enrichment, providing at the same time, diversity of species, reduction of the seasonality period, increase in productivity and nutritional value, greater nitrogen fixation and increase in biodiversity, contributing to the supply of ecosystem services and sustainability in these pastoral systems. The objective of this study is to evaluate the diversity of functional groups, in multispecies pastures, in the productivity and quality of the pastures and in the provision of ecosystem services. The experiment will be conducted at the Instituto de Zootecnia/APTA/SAA, in Ribeirão Preto, SP. The design will be completely randomized, with nine treatments and three repetitions, evaluating single sowing of B. brizantha, double association (B. brizantha and P. maximum), triple (B. brizantha, P. maximum and C. dactylon) and different combinations among grass, legumes (Arachis Pintoi, Neonotonia wightii and Stylosanthes) and brassicas (B. rapa, B. napus and B. oleracea). Evaluations of forage dry mass, height, leaf area index, light interception, botanical composition, nutritional value, chlorophyll, canopy reflectance, fertility, CO2 emission from the soil, biological nitrogen fixation and biodiversity, will be carried out during 16 months of study. Linear, multiple regression and artificial neural network analyzes will be performed to predict a variable response based on a set of predictors. (AU)