ABSTRACT
The aim of this study was to evaluate the productivity and the bromatologic characteristics of the upper and lower strata of perennial grasses in four cut systems. The cultivars evaluated were: Cynodon nlemfuensis Vanderyst cv. Estrela Roxa; Cynodon dactilon (L.) Pears cv. Coast-cross 1; Cynodon nlemfuensis Vanderyst cv. Tifton-68; Cynodon ssp. cv. Tifton-85; Cynodon dactilon sp. cv. Jiggs; Hemárthria altissima cv. Roxinha, and Penissetum clandestinum cv. Quicuio. All cuts were made when each cv. reached 95% light interception. The cv. Jiggs and Tifton 68, with 21348 and 21016kg ha-1, respectively, were responsible for the higher yields (P<0.05) of accumulated dry biomass. The overall average of the cuts, the fourth cut had the lowest ratio upper stratum: lower compared to the others (P<0.05). Regarding the upper stratum, the cv. Tifton 85 had the highest CP content, statistically higher (P<0.05) in the first, second and fourth cut, while in the third cut the cv. Coast-cross had the highest protein content. In general, cv. Jiggs and Tifton 68 had the highest number of accumulated biomass. The cv. Tifton 85 was responsible for the higher levels of CP, whereas the levels of structural carbohydrates maintained a constant pattern, in both the upper and lower strata in four cut systems.
Keywords:
Cynodon; forage; grass