The grasses of the genera Brachiaria and Panicum have significant participation in the grasslands of the Cerrado region, but few studies relate their behavior in conditions of soil compaction. The objective was to evaluate the development of grasses Brachiaria brizantha v. Piatã and Panicum maximum v. Mombaça in increasing levels of soil compaction. The experiment was carried out in a greenhouse at Federal University of Mato Grosso. The experimental design was completely randomized with 8 treatments and 3 replications, arranged in a factorial design involving two grasses and four compaction levels, 1.0, 1.2, 1.4 and 1.6 Mg m-3. Two cultings were made and the evaluated variables were: number of tillers NT), dry matter of leaf blade (DMLB), dry matter of stem (DMS), dry matter of root (DMR), leaf/stem ratio (DMLB/DMS); dry matter of shoot (DMSH) and the DMSH/DMR ratio. The levels of soil compaction did not influence the production of grass Piatã in two growth periods. The Mombaça grass showed a reduction in production due to soil compaction in the second growth cycle.
bulk density; grass; soil management
