Evaluation of an agro forestry system coconut/sheep in costal low lands northeast of Brazil

The integration of coconut cultivation with livestock raising is an alternative that can provide additional income to coconut producers. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of sheep grazing and mechanical mowing on animal performance and production of giant coconut trees. The experimental design used was randomized blocks with four replications, and the following treatments were evaluated: T0 = Mechanical mowing; T1 = Light stocking rate (2.4 sheep/ha); T2 = Medium stocking rate (3.2 sheep/ha); T3 = Heavy stocking rate (4.0 sheep/ha). In the sub treatments, the effect of manual crowning of coconut trees, in presence and absence, performed twice a year, was evaluated. In the third year of the trial, it was observed that under heavy grazing, there was a decline in weight gain of the animals due to the gradual replacement of the intensively grazed ginger grass (Paspalum maritimum, Trind.) by the Papophorum sp., characterized by low palatability. Mechanical mowing more than doubled the proportion of these grasses in relation to the other species, with no significant differences observed between treatments in coconut production. The effect of crowning was significant (P < 0.05) in the treatments under mowing and in light and medium grazing. The rearing/fattening of sheep, at rates of 2.4 head/ha/year, associated with systematic practices of deworming, mosquito control and mineralization, allows additional production of around 30 kg of live weight/ha, with a cost reduction of two mowings/year, without altering coconut production, when the practice of crowning coconut trees is maintained