ABSTRACT:The high efficiency of sunflowers in extracting water from the soil under water stress conditions is a factor that promotes sunflower cultivation in the offseason. Therefore, sunflowers have been intercropped with grasses of the Urochloa genus in crop-livestock integration systems. However, little is known of sowing methods for intercropping; thus, the present study aimed to assess sunflower agronomic traits and the production and nutritional characteristics of Paiaguas palisadegrass under different forage systems in the offseason in the midwest region of Brazil. The experiment was conducted at the Federal Institute of Goiás (Instituto Federal Goiano), Rio Verde Campus in a randomized block experimental design with four replicates. The treatments consisted of the following forage systems: sunflower monocropped; Paiaguas palisadegrass monocropped; sunflower rows intercropped with Paiaguas palisadegrass; sunflower inter-row intercropped with Paiaguas palisadegrass; and sunflower oversown and intercropped with Paiaguas palisadegrass. The results show that the sunflower rows intercropped with Paiaguas palisadegrass negatively affect the agronomic traits of sunflower; thus, inter-row sowing and oversowing are recommended. Sowing Paiaguas palisadegrass with oversown sunflower for forage production is hampered by intercropping and shows low forage production. In turn, the intercropped sowing method had no effect on the nutritional characteristics of the produced forage. Intercropping sunflowers with Paiaguas palisadegrass in the offseason has the potential to provide a promising cropping method for the production of achenes and after harvest enables the availability of forage with good nutritional value for use in the offseason in the midwest region of Brazil.

ResumoO conhecimento da variabilidade espacial dos atributos químicos e físicos no solo é muito importante, principalmente, para a agricultura de precisão. A geoestatística vem em busca de aprimorar técnicas que possam viabilizar o uso correto e responsável do solo. Assim, durante o ano agrícola 2011/2012, em área de plantio de direto com a cultura do milho, no município de Gurupi (TO), no Cerrado brasileiro, objetivou-se analisar a variabilidade espacial de atributos físico-químicos de um Latossolo VermelhoAmarelo distrófico sob plantio direto. Foi instalada a malha de amostragem para a coleta de dados do solo, com 100 pontos amostrais, numa área de 1755 m 2 . Foram determinados os teores de P disponível, matéria orgânica, valor de pH (H 2 O), teores de K

The objective of this study was to evaluate dry matter production, fermentative parameters, and nutritional value of the silage of corn intercropped with Paiaguas palisadegrass in different forage systems and maturity stages, in the off-season. The experiment was carried out in a randomized block design, with four replications, in a 5×3 factorial arrangement consisting of five forage systems: corn monocropped; Paiaguas palisadegrass monocropped; corn intercropped with Paiaguas palisadegrass in the row, inter-row, and oversown; and three corn maturity stages (milky, soft dough, and hard dough with 80, 90, and 110 days after sowing, respectively). The results showed that the silage of corn intercropped with Paiaguas palisadegrass in the row and inter-row at the hard dough stage presented greater productivity per area and better fermentative and nutritional characteristics. They can, therefore, be recommended as suitable sowing systems for silage production. Silages produced from intercropping systems proved to be an alternative feed supply technique, allowing the intensification of production systems, maximizing nutrient production per area, in a sustainable manner.

ABSTRACT:The high efficiency of sunflowers in extracting water from the soil under water stress conditions is a factor that promotes sunflower cultivation in the offseason. Therefore, sunflowers have been intercropped with grasses of the Urochloa genus in crop-livestock integration systems. However, little is known of sowing methods for intercropping; thus, the present study aimed to assess sunflower agronomic traits and the production and nutritional characteristics of Paiaguas palisadegrass under different forage systems in the offseason in the midwest region of Brazil. The experiment was conducted at the Federal Institute of Goiás (Instituto Federal Goiano), Rio Verde Campus in a randomized block experimental design with four replicates. The treatments consisted of the following forage systems: sunflower monocropped; Paiaguas palisadegrass monocropped; sunflower rows intercropped with Paiaguas palisadegrass; sunflower inter-row intercropped with Paiaguas palisadegrass; and sunflower oversown and intercropped with Paiaguas palisadegrass. The results show that the sunflower rows intercropped with Paiaguas palisadegrass negatively affect the agronomic traits of sunflower; thus, inter-row sowing and oversowing are recommended. Sowing Paiaguas palisadegrass with oversown sunflower for forage production is hampered by intercropping and shows low forage production. In turn, the intercropped sowing method had no effect on the nutritional characteristics of the produced forage. Intercropping sunflowers with Paiaguas palisadegrass in the offseason has the potential to provide a promising cropping method for the production of achenes and after harvest enables the availability of forage with good nutritional value for use in the offseason in the midwest region of Brazil.

ABSTRACT. The seasonality of forage production represents a limiting factor in the production of ruminants. The use of silages has been a solution for periods of low forage production, providing high quality food. This study was conducted to evaluate the fermentative characteristics and the chemical composition of silage of Urochloa brizantha cultivars with different levels of Campo Grande Stylosanthes. It was used a complete randomized block design with three replications in a 2 x 4 factorial design, being two cultivars of Urochloa brizantha (BRS Piata palisadegrass and BRS Paiaguas palisadegrass) and four levels of Campo Grande Stylosanthes (0, 10, 20 and 30%). Silages of Urochloa brizantha with Campo Grande Stylosanthes exhibit satisfactory quality, on the basis of the characteristics evaluated, with no significant difference between cultivars. The mixed silage of Campo Grande Stylosanthes with grasses at 30% has proven to be an interesting option, thus promoting adequate fermentation and maintaining the nutritional quality of silage. Keywords: chemical composition, fermentation, inoculant.Qualidade da silagem de cultivares de Urochloa brizantha com níveis de Estilosantes campo grande RESUMO. A estacionalidade da produção de forragem é um dos fatores limitantes na produção de ruminantes. Sendo assim, a utilização de silagens tem sido uma solução para períodos de baixa produção de forragens, proporcionando alimento de boa qualidade. Com isso, desenvolveu-se esse estudo com o objetivo de avaliar as características fermentativas e a composição químico-bromatológica da silagem de cultivares de Urochloa brizantha com níveis de estilosantes Campo Grande. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o de blocos completos ao acaso, com três repetições, em esquema fatorial 2 x 4, sendo dois cultivares de Urochloa brizantha (BRS Piatã e BRS Paiaguás) e quatro níveis de estilosantes Campo Grande (0, 10, 20 e 30%). Os resultados demonstraram que as silagens de Urochloa brizantha (BRS Piatã e BRS Paiaguás) com o estilosantes Campo Grande apresentam qualidades aceitáveis, com base nas características avaliadas, não havendo diferença entre os cultivares. A silagem mista de estilosantes Campo Grande com gramíneas na proporção de 30% demonstrou ser uma opção interessante, favorecendo o adequado processo fermentativo, bem como garantindo a manutenção da qualidade nutricional da silagem.Palavras-chave: composição químico-bromatológica, fermentação, inoculante.