Forage mass, nutritional value and decomposition dynamics of forages intercropped with maize in an integrated system in a tropical climate

Abstract The selection of suitable forages for intercropping with annual crops is a key factor in enhancing the resilience and sustainability of integrated crop-livestock systems (ICLS). This study aimed to evaluate the forage mass, nutritional value, and biomass decomposition dynamics of forages intercropped with maize in an integrated system under tropical conditions. The experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design with a split-plot arrangement and four replicates per treatment. Maize was intercropped with various grasses in 2022/23, while soybean was grown on the grass residue in 2023/24. The ‘R86’ and ‘254-1’ genotypes increased their biomass by 116% from the first to the third harvest, while ‘BRS Integra’ showed a 52.3% reduction, and ‘BRS Sarandi’ remained stable at 3,442 kg dry matter (DM)/ha. The hybrid ‘1242-10’ presented 115 g crude protein, 527 g neutral detergent fibre, and 677 g organic matter digestibility/kg DM. Biomass from ‘254-1’ released 44.0, 7.53, and 46.1 kg/ha of nitrogen, diphosphorus pentoxide and potassium oxide, respectively. Genotypes ‘R86’, ‘254-1’ and ‘BRS Sarandi’ can be used for intercropping with maize in soybean-based ICLS. This is likely the first study to investigate the use of recently released, genetically improved forage genotypes, such as ‘BRS Integra’ and ‘BRS Sarandi’, in an ICLS in the Cerrado biome.