A pot trial was carried out in a greenhouse to evaluate the effect of phosphorus rates applied in two Oxisols (LVAd and LVd) (0, 110, 220, 330 and 560 mg dm-3 de P) and an Entisol (RQ) (0, 80, 160, 240 and 410 mg dm-3) on tillering and dry matter yield of shoot (SDM) and root (RDM) of Mombaçagrass (Panicum maximum cv. Mombaça), Marandugrass (Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu) and Andropogongrass (Andropogon gayanus cv. Planaltina) to identify critical phosphorus rates for obtaining 90% of maximum production. Three experiments were set in complete randomized block design in a factorial scheme (five P rates x three species), with three replicates. The phosphorus rates, linearly increased the P available in soil extracted by Mehlich-1 and resin methods. The tillers number per pot and shoot dry matter changed in a quadratic form with phosphorus rates. Plants in the no P did not tiller and shoot dry matter was very low. The critical P doses, corresponding to 90% of maximum yield, for Mombaçagrass, Marandugrass and Andropogongrass were respectively 236, 231 and 258 mg dm-3 in LVAd; 274, 305 e 253 mg dm-3 in LVd and 94, 171 and 163 mgdm-3 in RQ, with critical P concentration of 81, 79 and 90 mg dm-3 in the LVAd; 26, 29 e 23 mg dm-3 in the LVd e 53, 83 and 79 mg dm-3 in the RQ, respectively. Lower values for the critical P concentration occurred in LVd (soil with higher clay and silt concentrations) than in the others soils, whose concentrations corresponded to higher critical doses. In all soils P application resulted in higher yield of SDM than RDM.
available phosphorus in soil; tillering; dry matter production; shoot
