Use of Organic Compost for the Fertilization of Piatã and Paiaguás Grasses: Effects of Dose on Morphogenetic, Structural, Nutritional, and Productive Characteristics

Abstract

The use of organic compost in pasture fertilization is a form of recycling nutrients contained in waste and reducing chemical fertilizer use. To perform pasture fertilization, however, grass responses to doses of organic composts must be known. Thus, the objective of this study was to find the best dose of laying hen organic compost to maximize the productive, morphogenetic, structural, and nutritional responses of Paiagu as and Piatã grasses. A completely randomized factorial (4 £ 2) design was used, composed of organic compost doses (0, 400, 800, and 1,200 kg equivalent N.ha ¡1) and two cultivars (Piatã and Paiagu as) of Urochloa brizantha grass with three replicates per treatment, assessed during four successive cuts. The parameters evaluated were dry matter yield (DM) of shoots and roots, leaf appearance rate (LAR), leaf elongation rate (LER), phyllochron, pseudoculm elongation rate (PER), final leaf length (FLL), number of green leaves (NGL), and senescence rate (SR). The nutritional value of the grasses was also assessed through contents of dry matter, organic matter, crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber, cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, and in vitro organic matter digestibility (IVOMD). DM yields of both shoot and root increased due to nitrogen increase and Paiagu as grass had the highest yields (P < 0.01). The best organic compost doses ranged from 640 to 950 kg of equivalent N.ha ¡1 for most morphogenic and structural grass characteristics. The chemical composition of grasses was not influenced (P > 0.05) by doses of organic compost. Levels of 8.05% CP, 67.10% NDF, and 65.14% IVOMD were observed for cultivar Paiagu as, while for cultivar Piatã these values were 7.58% CP, 70.32% NDF, and 63.38% IVOMD. It is concluded that high doses of an organic compost are required (in equivalent N) for cultivars to reach the highest growth rates and that Paiagu as grass has higher dry matter yield, higher growth rates, and better chemical composition when compared to Piatã grass in similar organic fertilization conditions.

The quality of crude glycerine influences the fermentation and nutritive value of Piatã grass silage

“…Brachiaria brizantha grass cv. Piatã has a vigorous forage production and high nutritional value, having the potential to improve animal performance (Orrico Junior et al, 2013;Silveira et al, 2018).…”

Yield Component Responses of the Brachiaria brizantha Forage Grass to Soil Water Availability in the Brazilian Cerrado

“…It is worth noting that 85% of these planted pasture lands are comprised of Brachiaria spp., a tropical forage grass that has been largely used by the Brazilian cattle ranchers since the 1950s [2,9]. In general, the Brachiaria genus is distributed throughout the entire tropical zone, showing high biomass yield potential for both grazing and ensiling [10][11][12].…”