Forage Yield of Megathyrsus maximus Cultivars Managed with Two Fertilization Rates in a Sequential Cropping System
In the oilseed–cereal–forage system, information on the performance of grasses of the genus Megathyrsus maximus and on the optimal fertilization levels for forage production is still scarce. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate forage yield (FY) of pastures established in crop succession systems and subjected to two fertilization regimes during the 2020 and 2021 growing seasons, in the municipality of Rio Verde, Brazil. The experiment evaluated four M. maximus cultivars (Paredão, Zuri, Quênia, and Tamani) under two fertilization rates: maintenance (50, 50, 20, and 3.2 kg ha−1 year−1 of N, K, S, and micronutrients, respectively) and enhanced (150, 150, 40, and 6.4 kg ha−1 year−1, respectively). The Zuri cultivar showed a higher daily forage accumulation rate and greater forage leaf mass compared with the other cultivars. In addition, the Zuri and Paredão cultivars achieved the highest FY, reaching 12.80 and 12.10 Mg ha−1, respectively. The Tamani cultivar exhibited a lower neutral detergent fiber concentration and a higher total digestible nutrient concentration, indicating its potential for systems that prioritize higher forage nutritive value. Zuri and Paredão maximize forage yield in crop succession systems, while enhanced fertilization increases yield by 15%, with adoption dependent on economic feasibility.
Authors
- Tiago do Prado Paim (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9486-7128)
- Victória Santos Souza (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9398-7972)
- H. L. B. do Nascimento (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5155-8798)
- Stéfany Oliveira de Souza (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2287-3414)
- Bárbara Vieira de Freitas
- Victoria Caroline Sousa Rosa (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0883-8479)
- Darliane de Castro Santos
- Jaqueline Balbina Gomes Ferreira
- Patrick Bezerra Fernandes
- Matheus Silva Rodrigues
Institutions
- Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (BR)
- Instituto Federal Goiano (BR)
- Universidade de Rio Verde (BR)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Grasses
- Published
- 2026-01-05
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3390/grasses5010001
- Primary Topic
- Soil Management and Crop Yield
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00