Agronomic performance, nutritional value and morphological and physiological characteristics of five forage peanut genotypes under clipping

• Grant number: 13/15204-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Start date: October 01, 2013
• End date: March 31, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Animal Husbandry - Pastures and Forage Crops
• Principal Investigator: Carlos Guilherme Silveira Pedreira
• Grantee: Aliedson Sampaio Ferreira
• Supervisor: Lynn E. Sollenberger
• Host Institution: Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University of Florida, Gainesville (UF), United States
• Associated to the scholarship: 11/19465-8 - Agronomic performance and morpho-physiological characterists of five forage peanut genotypes under cutting, BP.DR

Abstract

The diversification of forage alternatives combined with production systems that are less dependent on resources such as mineral fertilizer, appear as promising alternatives for the intensification of animal production models in Brazil. Advanced studies on morphological and physiological and agronomic characteristics of forage legumes are important to characterize the patterns of growth, development and production. Perennial rhozoma peanut (Arachis spp.) has been reported to grow in stable mixtures with tropical grasses in grazed pastures even under low light intensity, persisting even under adverse conditions. In order to establish bases for the use of perennial peanut, there is a need to describe and explain the dynamics of sward composition, plant morphology and growth habit, canopy structure, photosynthesis, and yield of promising entries. The objective of this study is to describe these traits comparatively for five perennial peanut genotypes under two harvest schedules. The study will be conducted in Piracicaba - SP. The treatments consist of five genotypes of Arachis spp. (Alqueire, Amarillo, Belmonte, Mandobi and Florigraze) harvested every 28 and 42 days. The experimental design will be completely randomized with three replications, in a 5x2x3 factorial scheme, totalling 30 experimental units. Response variables to be studied include: herbage accumulation, leaf area index, canopy light interception, plant part composition and nutritional value. (AU)