This experiment was carried out in a greenhouse during the spring to study combinations of nitrogen and sulphur rates on Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu growing in nutrient solution and using ground quartz as substrate. It was set in a fractionated 5² factorial arrangement, with five rates of nitrogen and five rates of sulphur. The resulting 13 combinations were, in mg L-1: 14 and 3.2, 14 and 32, 14 and 80, 126 and 12.8, 126 and 64, 210 and 3.2, 210 and 32, 210 and 80, 336 and 12.8, 336 and 64, 462 and 3.2, 462 and 32, and 462 and 80. The experimental units were set in randomized blocks design, with four replications. Plants had two growth periods. The results showed that high availability of sulphur is required when nitrogen is supplied for total tiller number, leaf number, leaf dry matter yield, stems plus sheaths and plant tops, leaf area and leaf appearance rate. In order to maximize these variables for the marandugrass, it is necessary the minimum combination of 358 mg L-1 of nitrogen with 56 mg L-1 of sulphur. The highest leaf appearance rate for marandugrass occurred in the sulphur rate of 42 mg L-1.
Brachiaria brizantha; forage dry mass; leaves; leaf area; tillers
