Sward structure and forage accumulation dynamics in pastures of Marandu palisadegrass submitted to grazing intensities and levels of supplementation under continuous stocking.

• Grant number: 13/01738-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Start date: May 07, 2013
• End date: September 06, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Animal Husbandry - Pastures and Forage Crops
• Principal Investigator: Ricardo Andrade Reis
• Grantee: Sabrina Saraiva Santana
• Supervisor: Lynn E. Sollenberger
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias (FCAV). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Jaboticabal. Jaboticabal , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University of Florida, Gainesville (UF), United States
• Associated to the scholarship: 11/18300-5 - Sward structure and forage accumulation dynamics in pastures of Marandu palisadegrass submitted to grazing intensities and levels of supplementation under continuous stocking, BP.DR

Abstract

In pasture ecosystem the interception of incident light is the initial step of a sequence of events that results in forage production. There are several factors involved in the process of light interception, and among them, the most important are those related with the leaf area index, structural characteristics and spatial arrangement of the components of the sward. To answer the questions about interactions between soil, plant and animal, this project will be conducted with the objective of estimate the impact of pasture height and the effect of supplementation on continuous stocking on the canopy structure , biomass production, tiller dynamics and forage accumulation of Brachiaria brizantha (Hochst ex. A. Rich.) cv. Marandu in environmental conditions of Jaboticabal city, SP. The period will be from November 2010 to July 2011 and from November 2011 to July 2012, and will be divided into two periods: water (November-April) and transitional water / dry (May to July). The experiment will be developed in an established pastures area of Marandu grass in the Sector of Forage and Pasture of University of Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences / UNESP. The experiment will be carried out following a completely randomized design with two replications. The treatments correspond to the average heights of the pasture (15, 25 and 35 cm) and levels of supplementation (with and without supplement) in the rainy season, which corresponds to a 3x2 factorial. Thus, the present experiment or 12 experimental plots (3 x 2 heights of pasture supplementation levels x 2 reps) in the rainy season. In rainy transition / dry, the same 12 pickets will be used, but with less manning and treatments correspond to historical heights waters (15, 25 and 35 cm) and all animals receive 0.6% of body weight of supplement.