Characteristics of two Panicum maximum grass cultivars fertilized with ash from wood grown in tropical soils

It is estimated that the livestock sector accounts for about 40% of the value of global agricultural production. Livestock plays an essential role in maintaining food security as the sector contributes around 13% of calories and 28% of protein demands required by humans worldwide. Fertilization of tropical pastures with wood ash emerges as a sustainable practice that can contribute to better nutrient cycling, increased production, and reduced dependence on mineral resources. In this context, the aim of this study was to evaluate the production characteristics of two Panicum maximum grass cultivars fertilized with ash from wood grown in tropical soils of the Brazilian Cerrado. The experimental design was in randomized blocks in a factorial arrangement 5x2 with five doses of wood ash (0, 8, 16, 24, and 32 g kg-1) and two cultivars of Panicum maximum (cv. BRS Zuri and cv. Mombasa), with six replications. The experiment was carried out in 5 dm3 pots for 120 days. The wood ash used in the experiment comes from the combustion of eucalyptus (Eucalyptus sp.) logs in a boiler. The application of wood ash in acidic tropical soils increased leaf area, tillering, leaf dry mass, stem dry mass, and root volume in Mombasa and BRS Zuri cultivars of Panicum maximum grass, with maximum production at a dose of 32 g kg-1. The application of wood ash in acidic tropical soils offers potential as a sustainable strategy to increase production in forage production area for animal consumption in grazing, given the growing demand for beef. In addition, it properly and safely disposes of waste and recycles nutrients extracted by the crops.