Yield performance of Dactylis glomerata L. harvested at different cutting frequencies schemes and fertilized with organic-mineral mix

Livestock systems rely heavily on forage production for a healthy and economical way to produce; however, there is little information about the effect of mixing organic and mineral fertilization.The objective of this study was to evaluate the forage yield performance and chlorophyll content on leaves of cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata L.) subjected to two cutting schemes and different dosages of organic-mineral mixtures fertilization over a 1 yr period.Treatment means were analyzed using the GLM procedure and Tukey's test (P < 0.05) from SAS software.A randomized design was employed, with a total of 10 treatments, consisting of five combinations of urea (N) and vermicompost (V); V0:N0, V100:N0, V0:N100, V100:N100 and V50:N50, and two different harvest schemes; every 4 and 6 wk.The evaluated variables were: DM yield, morphological composition and chlorophyll content in leaves.The highest yield was obtained with V100:N100 with either 4 or 6 wk harvest registering 1770 and 2500 kg DM ha -1 more than their controls.Harvesting every 4 wk promoted similar accumulated yield in treatments with vermicompost compared to V0:N100 (P < 0.05).Additionally, the average yield every 6 wk did not show differences between seasons, suggesting that seasonality is reduced in cocksfoot.However, in harvests every 4 wk, there was a difference of 47% higher yield for summer compared to winter.The chlorophyll content was on average higher (53 mg m -2 ) by harvesting every 4 wk.Defining a mixed fertilization program associated with a harvest scheme of 4 wk will increase yield throughout the year and enhance chlorophyll content in leaves.