Phosphorus fertilization in the implantation of a silvopastoral system: morphogenic and structural characteristics of Mombaça grass

Abstract

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of phosphate fertilization on morphogenic and structural characteristics of Mombasa grass under conditions of implantation of silvopastoral system with eucalyptus and monoculture in the Amazon/Cerrado ecotone. The experiment was conducted at UFT-EMVZ during the rainy seasons of the 2016/2017 and 2017/2018 agricultural years. The experimental area was subdivided into two cultivation systems, Mombaça grass monoculture, with 0.25 hectare and silvopastoral system, intercropping eucalyptus with Mombaça grass, with 0.75 hectare area. The design used was a 4 x 2 factorial IHD with four doses of phosphorus (0; 50; 100; 200 kg.ha -1 P2O5 year-1) and two cultivation systems (monoculture and silvopastoral) with three repetitions. Three cycles were evaluated for an average rest period of 21 days. Weekly measurements were taken to evaluate structural and morphogenic characteristics of plants. In general, factors tested such as phosphorus fertilization, cultivation system and year (implantation and following year) showed influence, altering the development of Mombaça grass, reflecting on the morphogenic and structural characteristics. Tiller population density, crop growth rate, leaf area index showed interactions between phosphorus fertilization and the cultivation systems analyzed (P <0.05). Phosphorus fertilization used in the implantation, moment of greatest requirement of the plant, influenced forage development by increasing the crop growth rate, leaf appearance, as well as leaf and stem elongation in the two evaluated systems.