Introduction of forage legumes into Aruana Guineagrass pasture

Abstract

The experiment was developed at the Instituto de Zootecnia in Nova Odessa-SP. It was designed to evaluate forage mass, forage legumes ratio in the available forage mass and the transfer potential of the nitrogen fixed by the forage legumes to Aruana Guineagrass pasture grazed by lambs under intermittent grazing. The treatments consisted of the introduction of four accessions of forage legumes in the pasture of Megathyrsus maximum cv. Aruana and a treatment of Aruana Guineagrass pasture (without legumes), totalling five treatments. The Aruana Guineagrass pasture was established five years ago. The forage legumes treatments were: Neonotonia wightii NO 253 (Perennial soy NO 253), Neonotonia wightii NO 2348 (Perennial soy NO 2348), Macrotyloma axillare NO 279 (Macrotyloma legume) and Calopogonium mucunoides NO 1194 (Calapo legume). The experimental design was made up of random blocks with three replicates. The Calapo legume showed the lowest mean forage mass in the three seasons (400 kg/ha). The mean forage mass of the Perennial soy NO 253, Perennial soy NO 2348 and Macrotyloma legume did not show significant differences in the three seasons. Furthermore, the Calapo legume ratio in the pasture was the lowest in the total forage mass (13%) among the intercropped forage legumes (31.9% at 43.2%). Perennial soy NO 253, Perennial soy NO 2348 and Macrotyloma legume showed suitable ratio in the forage mass when intercropped with Aruana Guineagrass. These forage legumes also promoted the highest crude protein content in the Aruana Guineagrass. Thus, it is possible to advise the introduction of Perennial soy NO253, Perennial soy NO2548 or Macrotyloma legume in established Aruana grass pasture.