Silage production of corn intercropped with tropical forages in an integrated crop-livestock system with lambs

• Published in: Pesquisa agropecuaria brasileira 2017-01, Vol.52 (1), p.54-62
• Main Authors: Pariz, Cristiano Magalhães, Costa, Ciniro, Crusciol, Carlos Alexandre Costa, Meirelles, Paulo Roberto de Lima, Castilhos, André Michel de, Andreotti, Marcelo, Costa, Nídia Raquel, Martello, Jorge Martinelli
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: AGRICULTURE, DAIRY & ANIMAL SCIENCE; AGRICULTURE, MULTIDISCIPLINARY; cutting height; land equivalent ratio; light interception; Urochloa; Zea mays
• ISSN: 0100-204X; 1678-3921; 0100-204X; 1678-3921
• DOI: 10.1590/s0100-204x2017000100007

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of intercropping systems between corn and tropical forages, at different cutting heights, on silage production, light interception, land use efficiency, intercropping competition factors, and pasture production. In the 2010/2011 and 2011/2012 crop seasons, two cultivation modalities were evaluated in the summer/autumn - monocropped corn with residual regrowth of signal grass (Urochloa decumbens) from the soil seed bank and corn intercropped with palisade grass (U. brizantha 'Marandu') -, in a factorial arrangement with two cutting heights for silage production - 0.20 and 0.45 m. After corn silage harvest, the forages were grazed by lambs in a semi-feedlot system, in the winter/spring. Monocropped corn and 0.45-m cutting height both reduced dry matter yield for silage. Corn intercropped with palisade grass improved land use efficiency from 13 to 31% compared with monocropped crop, with land equivalent ratio greater than 1. Palisade grass showed higher light interception than signal grass over the intercrop period with corn and provided greater forage yield for lambs to graze during winter/spring. Corn intercropped with palisade grass, compared with monocropped corn, especially at the cutting height of 0.45 m, is a viable option for improving silage and pasture production, as well as land use efficiency in the integrated crop-livestock system. Resumo: O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito de cultivos consorciados entre milho e forrageiras tropicais, em diferentes alturas de corte, sobre a produção de silagem, a interceptação luminosa, a eficiência de uso da terra, os fatores de competição do consórcio e a produção da pastagem. Foram avaliados, nas safras 2010/2011 e 2011/2012, duas modalidades de cultivo no verão/outono - monocultivo de milho com rebrota do banco de sementes de capim-braquiária (Urochloa decumbens) e milho consorciado com capim-marandu (U. brizantha 'Marandu') -, em arranjo fatorial com duas alturas de corte para ensilagem - 0,20 e 0,45 m. Após a colheita do milho para ensilagem, as forragens foram pastejadas por cordeiros semi-confinados, no inverno/primavera. O monocultivo do milho e a altura de corte a 0,45 m reduziram a produtividade de matéria seca para ensilagem. O milho consorciado com capim-marandu melhorou a eficiência de uso da terra de 13 para 31%, comparado ao monocultivo do milho, com relação de equivalência de uso da terra maior que 1. O capim-marandu apresentou mai