EFFECT OF SHADOWING IN THE INITIAL GROWTH OF TROPICAL FORAGE GRASS
Abstract
Pasture arborization with nodulating legumes trees represents the most economic and ecological strategy to add nitrogen to the system plant-soil. However, for introduction of trees in pasture it is necessary to identify grass species that are able to grow under the trees where ligth intensity is lower. The present study was conducted at Embrapa Agrobiologia, Seropédica/RJ, Brazil, to test three grass species (Coast cross 1, Pennisetum purpureum cv. Cameron and Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu) and three leveis of shadowing (25, 50 and 75 %). All leveis of shadowing decreased the root biomass of ali the three grass species tested while B. brizantha and P. purpureum showed that their shoot was I ittle affected by shadowing. B. brizantha produced more root biomass than the other two species in ali leveis of ligth intensity tested.
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