African Journal of
Agricultural Research

  • Abbreviation: Afr. J. Agric. Res.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 1991-637X
  • DOI: 10.5897/AJAR
  • Start Year: 2006
  • Published Articles: 6853

Full Length Research Paper

Biomass and nutrition stock of grassland and accumulated litter in a silvopastoral system with Cerrado species

Francine Neves Calil
  • Francine Neves Calil
  • School of Agronomy (Escola de Agronomia), Universidade Federal de Goiás, Campus Samambaia, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil.
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Nauara Lamaro Lima
  • Nauara Lamaro Lima
  • School of Agronomy (Escola de Agronomia), Universidade Federal de Goiás, Campus Samambaia, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil.
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Raissa Tavares Silva
  • Raissa Tavares Silva
  • School of Agronomy (Escola de Agronomia), Universidade Federal de Goiás, Campus Samambaia, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil.
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Mariana Dianese Alves de Moraes
  • Mariana Dianese Alves de Moraes
  • School of Agronomy (Escola de Agronomia), Universidade Federal de Goiás, Campus Samambaia, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil.
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Pedro Vilela Gondim Barbosa
  • Pedro Vilela Gondim Barbosa
  • School of Agronomy (Escola de Agronomia), Universidade Federal de Goiás, Campus Samambaia, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil.
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Pedro Augusto Fonseca Lima
  • Pedro Augusto Fonseca Lima
  • School of Agronomy (Escola de Agronomia), Universidade Federal de Goiás, Campus Samambaia, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil.
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Daniel Cardoso Brandao
  • Daniel Cardoso Brandao
  • School of Agronomy (Escola de Agronomia), Universidade Federal de Goiás, Campus Samambaia, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil.
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Carlos de Melo e Silva-Neto*
  • Carlos de Melo e Silva-Neto*
  • Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Goiás (IFG), Goiás City, Goiás, Brazil.
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Hellen Cristina de Sousa Carvalho3
  • Hellen Cristina de Sousa Carvalho3
  • Ecology and Environmental analysis Department, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil.
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Abadia dos Reis Nascimento
  • Abadia dos Reis Nascimento
  • School of Agronomy (Escola de Agronomia), Universidade Federal de Goiás, Campus Samambaia, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil.
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  •  Received: 27 June 2016
  •  Accepted: 22 August 2016
  •  Published: 22 September 2016

Abstract

The crop-livestock-forest integration systems are a form of sustainable production, creating a consortium between the cultivation of crops and forest production and the creation of pastures for livestock breeding, seeking a synergy between the system components. Therefore, integrating agricultural crops with tree species provides countless benefits to the components, such as the maintenance and increase in nutrient cycling. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the biomass and nutritional stock of Brachiaria pasture and accumulated litter in a silvopastoral system with tree species of the Cerrado. Three silvopastoral systems, formed with the forage species Urochloa decumbens (Brachiaria) integrated with three tree species, namely Dipteryx alata (baru tree), Caryocar brasiliense (pequi) and Eugenia dysenterica (cagaita), were evaluated. Litter and pasture were collected in each system at different sample distances from the tree. The amount of biomass and the nutritional contents of both components were evaluated by chemical analysis. The largest amount Brachiaria pasture biomass and largest amount of litter was found in the silvopastoral system with baru trees. The pasture differed nutritionally. The pastures associated with baru trees and to pequis have higher amounts of macronutrients. There are nutritional differences with respect to the sampling positions.

Key words: Brachiaria, Baru, Pequi, Cagaita, CLFi, Cerrado, Brazil.