Grupo de Estudo em Ruminantes e Forragicultura da Amazônia

​Productivity, nutritional value and morphophysiological responses of the species Panicum maximum cv. Tanzânia and cv. Massai under different defoliation frequencies throughout the year.

Proponent: Aníbal Coutinho do Rêgo; Felipe Nogueira Domingues; Cristian Faturi and Ebson Pereira Cândido.

About the project: Ruminant production in Brazil is based mainly on the use of pasture as the main source of energy in diets. Proper management of pastures and the grazing system on the property is of fundamental importance to increase productivity and reduce costs. Forage plants of the species Panicum maximum, such as the cultivars Tanzânia and Massai, have good nutritional value and great potential for use in pasture-based animal production systems. However, there is still a scarcity of research studies demonstrating their production potential in regions with high rainfall levels, such as the North of Brazil. This project aims to evaluate, through two experimental trials, the forage accumulation, leaf area index, light interception, morphological composition, canopy height, photosynthesis, morphogenesis, density and demographic pattern of tillers and chemical-bromatological composition of the species Panicum maximum cv. Tanzânia and Panicum maximum cv. Massai subjected to different cutting frequencies throughout the year, in order to use the results obtained as support for recommending to the producer in the region the correct management of their pasture, making it more sustainable and avoiding its degradation.