An experiment was carried out to evaluate the reclamation of a degraded pasture of molassesgrass (Melinis minutiflora, Beauv.), with the establishment of signalgrass (Brachiaria decumbens, Stapf), with different N doses (0, 50, 100, and 150 kg/ha.year) or in consortium with S. guianensis cv. mineirão, in a complete randomized blocks design, with three replications per treatment. Evaluations were performed during the dry season (one evaluation) and wet season (three evaluations). Nitrogen fertilization promoted increment in dry matter production and crude protein (CP) concentration of signalgrass, in both seasons. There were no effect of neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber concentration of signalgrass in both seasons. Increasing N doses did not alter P, Ca, and Mg concentration neither in the dry nor in the rainy seasons, but it decreased K concentration in both seasons. Signalgrass and Stylosanthes mixture presented low dry matter production in the dry season, being similar to signalgrass without nitrogen fertilizer. During the wet season, however there was no statistical difference between the consortium and treatments with nitrogen fertilization. The consortium, in general, presented greater forage CP concentration compared to signalgrass fertilized with nitrogen.
consortium grass-legume; fiber; minerals; nitrogen fertilization; protein; "Zona da Mata Mineira"
