Dry matter and nutrient accumulation in forage plants intercropped with off-season maize as a function of nitrogen fertilization
Batista, K.; Duarte, A.P.; Ceccon, G.; De Maria, I.C.; Cantarella, H.
Pesquisa Agropecuaria Brasileira 46(10): 1154-1160
2011
ISSN/ISBN: 0100-204X
Accession: 070666467
The objective of this work was to assess the accumulation of dry matter and nutrients in forage plants intercropped with off-season maize, as a function of nitrogen fertilization. The species Urochloa brizantha cv. Marandu, U. decumbens cv. Basilisk, U. ruziziensis cv. Comum, and Panicum maximum cv. Tanzania, with seeding in mid-March, were evaluated in four municipalities of Sao Paulo, Brazil, intercropped with maize. A randomized complete block design was used, with four replicates, in split-plots. The intercropped systems were evaluated in the plots, and four nitrogen topdressing fertilization rates (0, 30, 60, and 90 kg ha(-1)) were evaluated in the split-plots. Forage dry matter and nutrient accumulation were determined in three stages: flowering, maize physiological maturity, and at forage desiccation, in October. Forage dry matter accumulation increases after the harvest of off-season maize. When forages are planted in the corn inter-rows, topdressing nitrogen fertilization does not influence forage dry matter and nutrient accumulation, and intercropping does not affect off-season maize grain yield.