STRUCTURAL CHARACTERISTICS OF MEGATHYRSUS MAXIMUS CV. MOMBAÇA AND CV. PAREDÃO SUBJECTED TO DIFFERENT LEVELS OF NITROGEN FERTILIZATION DURING DRY PERIODS

Abstract

The main source of cattle feed in Brazil is based on pastures, which, when properly managed, can be an economically viable alternative and present good productivity rates. Nitrogen fertilization can bring improvements to plants, resulting in higher yields per area. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of different levels of nitrogen fertilization on the structural characteristics of Megathyrsus maximus cv. Mombasa and cv. Wall in a period of drought. The experiment was conducted in Imperatriz-MA, during the dry season of the region. The experimental area was prepared for the cultivation of Megathyrsus maximus cv. Mombasa and Paredão, focusing on the analysis of variables such as height, number of tillers and weight of samples in the field. The evaluations were carried out 28 days after each cut, using nitrogen fertilization levels (0, 100, 200, 300 and 400 Kg N ha⁻¹ year⁻¹). The results indicated that fertilization had little influence on the variables analyzed. The height of the forage did not reach the recommendation for the beginning of grazing, which is 80 to 90 cm. Only in the sixth cut was the ideal height reached for the beginning of grazing, with an average of 107.50 cm for Paredão grass with 300 kg of N/ha/year and for Mombaça grass with 200 and 300 kg of N/ha/year. In addition, the fertilization rates tested did not show a significant impact on the production of green matter per hectare during the dry periods.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.56238/sevened2025.011-027