Produtividade de brachiaria ruziziensis em consórcio com milho sob pastejo contínuo de nelores em recria

Abstract

The integration of Lavoura Pecuaria (iLP), a strategy that combines production with animal husbandry, is currently being used as a way of better use of the productive area, in addition to being an alternative for cultivation with lower environmental impacts. Thus, the study aimed to evaluate the yield, morphological characteristics and height of Brachiaria ruziziensis grass, in an intercropping system with corn crop, under conditions of pre-grazing and post-continuous grazing of Nelores in the growing phase.The work was carried out from July to October 2021, in the pasture area of Colibri agricultural condominium farm in the city of Uruçuí, Piauí. The Brachiaria ruziziensis pasture associated with corn crop was established in a total area of 240 hectares, managed under continuous fixed stocking with a total of 90 days of occupation. 350 Nellore heifers were used, with an initial live weight of 350 kg and animal load of 1.1 Animal Unit/ha. Forage production and structural characteristics of Brachiaria ruziziensis pasture evaluations (height, percentage of leaves, stalks and dead material) were carried out in pre- and continuous postgrazing conditions. The area submitted to the continuous grazing method and with a stocking rate above the ideal, presented a rapid and expressive drop in all studied variables, which resulted in lower productive use of the grass. Thus, overgrazing has a great influence on the decrease in production of a forage plant, and it is essential to adapt the management in a sustainable way, providing the efficient use of the pasture