CO2 emissions, canopy characteristics and forage accumulation in pensacola bahiagrass under frequencies of defoliation

The aim of this study was to evaluate CO2 emission, canopy characteristics and herbage accumulation in pastures of pensacola bahiagrass under frequencies of defoliation. The experiment was conducted at the Universidade Estadual Paulista "Julio de Mesquita Filho", Faculty of Agrarian Sciences and Veterinary of UNESP, Jaboticabal, São Paulo, Brasil. The experimental period was from May 3rd to July 26th 2012. The experimental area comprised 28 m² of pensacola bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum Flügge), divided into 10 plots for allocation of treatment (frequencies of defoliation = 2 or 4 weeks). The following variables were studied: canopy height, light interception, leaf area index, herbage accumulation, tiller density, CO2 emissions, soil temperature and moisture. The frequencies of defoliation in the months of May, June and July slightly affect pensacola bahiagrass characteristics. CO2, soil temperature and moisture are more associated to environmental conditions (months of evaluation) than to the frequencies of defoliation imposed to the canopies.

greenhouse gas; Paspalum notatum Flügge; sward modifications