This work was carried out aiming to evaluate the nutritional value of tillers and the morphological components on deferred and nitrogen-fertilized pastures of Brachiaria decumbens cv. Basilisk. Two experiments were performed in randomized block designs with three repetitions and subdivided plot scheme. In the first experiment, combinations among nitrogen doses (0, 40, 80 and 120 kg/ha) were performed either with the morphological components (green leaves, green stem, dead leaves and dead stem) or with tiller categories (vegetative and reproductive) of the pasture. In the second experiment, the combinations of the deferring periods (73, 95 and 116 days) with the tiller categories (vegetative and reproductive) were studied. N-fertilization increased neutral detergent fiber (NDF) percentage in the green stem and the content of crude protein (CP) in green leaves, dead leaves, and green stem. N-fertilization also increased CP percentages in the vegetative and reproductive tillers, as well as the NDF content in vegetative tillers. A higher deferring period resulted in an increment of the NDF percentage and a reduction of crude protein percentage in the vegetative and reproductive tillers. Nitrogen dose and the deferring period alter the nutritional value of the morphological components and the tillers of the pastures of B. decumbens cv. Basilisk. For deferring of pastures, management actions that result in higher percentages of green foliar blade and vegetative tiller in the pasture contribute to improve the nutritional value of the deferred forage.
Brachiaria decumbens; deferring period; foliar blade; reproductive tiller; stem; vegetative tiller
