R. Bras. Zootec.01/Nov/2008;37(11):1935-9.
Production and nutritive value of tanzaniagrass fertilized with nitrogen and phosphorus
DOI: 10.1590/S1516-35982008001100005
The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse and aimed to evaluate the effect of N and P fertilization on dry matter (DM) production of shoots and roots, crude protein (CP) production and concentration, and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) concentration of Tanzania grass. It was used a completely randomized experimental design in a 4 × 2 factorial scheme, being four N doses (0, 50, 100, and 150 mg N/dm3) and two doses of P2O5 (0 and 45 mg P2O5/dm3), with four replicates. It was used pots with 6.3 L capacity, in which the grass seeds were sawed, leaving three plants in each pot. It was observed interaction among N and P doses for shoot and root DM production. Shoot DM production at the 45 mg of P2O5/dm3 dose were 4.7, 18.5, 32.3, and 46.1 g/pot whereas root production at the same P level were 6.3, 41.7, 77.1, and 112.5 g/pot, for 0, 50, 100, and 150 mg of N/dm3, respectively. There was no difference for NDF concentration as a function of N and P doses, but CP concentration increased with increasing N fertilization when P was not added. Increasing N fertilization in the presence of P fertilization increased the production and nutritive value of tanzaniagrass.
Keywords: dry matter; grass; nutrients; crossbreed cows; soil