Productivity increase, reduction of nitrogen fertiliser use and drought-stress mitigation by inoculation of Marandu grass (Urochloa brizantha) with Azospirillum brasilense

2019 ◽  
Vol 70 (1) ◽  
pp. 61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rubson da C. Leite ◽  
José G. D. dos Santos ◽  
Eduardo L. Silva ◽  
Cássio R. C. R. Alves ◽  
Mariangela Hungria ◽  
...  

Among the forage species cultivated in South America, the genus Urochloa is the most used, and the cultivar Marandu of U. brizantha is the most widely planted in Brazil. The objective of this study was to evaluate forage performance in association with Azospirillum brasilense, combined with nitrogen (N) fertilisation. The study was conducted under field conditions in Araguaína, Tocantins, in the central region of Brazil, between March 2016 and March 2017. Four N fertiliser rates (0, 12.5, 25 and 50kg/ha of N per cutting cycle) were combined with two inoculation treatments (inoculated and non-inoculated), with evaluations carried out in three periods of the year (transition, dry and wet seasons). Marandu grass plants inoculated with A. brasilense had greater plant height, number of tillers and forage production than non-inoculated plants, regardless of the N rate. Inoculation with A. brasilense allowed a 20% reduction in N fertilisation. Our results indicate that inoculation with A. brasilense in Marandu grass, as well as increasing forage production, can help to mitigate the stresses caused by the dry season.

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 84
Author(s):  
Carlos Augusto Oliveira de Andrade ◽  
Emerson Borghi ◽  
Leandro Bortolon ◽  
Elisandra Solange Oliveira Bortolon ◽  
Francelino Peteno de Camargo ◽  
...  

Brazil is one the largest soybean and cattle producer worldwide and degrade pasture is one of the major problem in the Cerrado region. Integrated crop-livestock system is a key to increase grower income, to reduce crop yield loss by water deficit during growing season and to reclaim degraded pasture. However, forage production and its quality is important to evaluate under integrated crop-livestock system. The objective of this study was to evaluate forage production and the bromatological composition of different forage species in monoculture and in intercropping with soybean in an oversowing system. A completely randomized block design with four replications in a 5 × 2 + 1 factorial scheme, with five forage species (Urochloa brizantha cv. Marandu; U. ruziziensis; P. maximus cv. Mombaça; P. infestans cv. Massai and P. americanum) and two cropping systems (monoculture and a consortium with soybeans) and a standard treatment (P. americanum in succession with soybeans). The forage productivity and the bromatological composition of the forages were evaluated. The species U. ruziziensis, U. brizantha, M. maximum and P. infestans presented higher forage production capacity, when cultivated in consortium with soybeans and in monoculture, in relation to P. americanum. The cultivation of the forages U. ruziziensis, U. brizantha, M. maximum and P. americanum in monoculture produced higher productivity than that in consortium with soybeans. The forages U. ruziziensis and U. brizantha intercropped with soybean presented a better nutritional value over the autumn-winter period.


Author(s):  
J.R. Caradus ◽  
D.A. Clark

The New Zealand dairy industry recognises that to remain competitive it must continue to invest in research and development. Outcomes from research have ensured year-round provision of low-cost feed from pasture while improving productivity. Some of these advances, discussed in this paper, include the use of white clover in pasture, understanding the impacts of grass endophyte, improved dairy cow nutrition, the use of alternative forage species and nitrogen fertiliser to improve productivity, demonstration of the impact of days-in-milk on profitability, and the use of feed budgeting and appropriate pasture management. Keywords: dairy, profitability, research and development


2021 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wedad A. Kasim ◽  
Mohamed E. H. Osman ◽  
Mohamed N. Omar ◽  
Samar Salama

Abstract Background The effectiveness of two PGPB; Azospirillum brasilense NO40 and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia B11 was investigated in enhancing the drought tolerance of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) seedlings cultivar Gemiza9. The inoculated or uninoculated grains were sown in unsterilized sandy soil and watered normally untill the 8th day. Drought stress was initiated by completely withholding water for 7 days (until wilting). Samples were collected after 15 days from sowing to evaluate some growth criteria, damage and defense indicators and to analyze the roots’ protein pattern. Results The results showed that inoculating wheat seedlings with these strains significantly diminished the inhibitory effects of drought stress on the relative water content of roots, shoots and leaves; area of leaves; contents of pigments (chlorophyll a and b) and ascorbic acid; and on the protein patterns of roots. Moreover, the bacterial inoculation notably reduced the drought-induced damage indicated by lower leakage of electrolytes and less accumulation of Malondialdehyde and hydrogen peroxide, surprisingly with less enhanced production of proline and activities of catalase and peroxidase than their uninoculated counterparts. Under normal conditions, inoculating wheat plants with these PGPB resulted in significantly promoted growth and elevated contents of pigments and altered protein patterns of roots. Conclusion Overall, we can say that both Azospirillum brasilense NO40 and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia B11 were able to deactivate the growth inhibition in wheat seedlings to some extent, while maintaining a certain level of efficient protection against damage under drought stress.


2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 133-142
Author(s):  
NÍDIA RAQUEL COSTA ◽  
MARCELO ANDREOTTI ◽  
KENY SAMEJIMA MASCARENHAS LOPES ◽  
KAZUO LEONARDO ALMEIDA YOKOBATAKE ◽  
CÉSAR GUSTAVO DA ROCHA LIMA

ABSTRACT: An experiment was conducted during the years 2009 and 2010 to evaluate the effects of Urochloa forage straw and nitrogen fertilization on soil properties, nutritional foliar content, index of foliar chlorophyll (IFC) values, production components, and grains yields of winter bean (Phaseolus vulgaris 'Pérola') in the Cerrado lowlands region of Brazil. The treatments consisted of planting bean crops under straw of Urochloa brizantha 'Xaraés' and Urochloa ruziziensis, fertilized with urea-sourced N (0, 50, 100, 150, and 200 kg N ha-1). The experimental design was randomized blocks with four replications, and a factorial scheme of 2 × 5. The greater yield of U. brizantha dry matter in the two years of evaluation increased bean leaf nutrient levels. The nutritional increase with increasing N application rates showed that the straw produced by the forages had a positive effect on bean nutrition. The grain yield was satisfactory but was not affected by the forage species nor by changes in the N application rates. The Urochloa straw increased the soil organic matter (SOM), Ca, and Mg content in both evaluated years, affected the decomposition and mineralization of organic residues, and ensured the proper development of the bean plants.


2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 125-128
Author(s):  
Nicholas L. Hurdle ◽  
Timothy L. Grey ◽  
Patrick E. McCullough ◽  
Donn Shilling ◽  
Jason Belcher

AbstractBermudagrass is a major forage species throughout Georgia and the Southeast. An essential part of achieving high-yielding, top-quality forages is proper weed control. Indaziflam is a residual herbicide that controls many broadleaf and grass species by inhibiting cellulose biosynthesis. Research conducted in Tift and Colquitt counties in Georgia determined optimal PRE rates for indaziflam for bermudagrass forage production. Treatments applied at spring greenup of established ‘Alicia’ bermudagrass included indaziflam at 47, 77, 155, or 234 g ai ha−1 PRE, pendimethalin at 4,480 g ha−1 PRE, a split application of indaziflam at 47 g ha−1 PRE followed by the same rate applied POST after the first cutting, and a nontreated control (seven treatments in all). Forages were machine harvested three times each year for each location beginning at least 47 d after treatment (DAT), with final cuttings up to 168 DAT. For all treatments, fresh- and dry-weight yields at each harvest and totals for the season did not differ from the nontreated control. Indaziflam at 155 and 234 g ha−1 did cause minor stunting at 44 DAT, but this was transient and not observed at the second harvest. Indaziflam applied PRE has the potential to provide residual control of troublesome weeds in bermudagrass forage and hay production, with ephemeral stunting at the recommended application rates.


2020 ◽  
pp. 1072-1080
Author(s):  
Charles Barbosa Santos ◽  
Kátia Aparecida de Pinho Costa ◽  
Wender Ferreira de Souza ◽  
Alessandro Guerra da Silva ◽  
Victor Costa e Silva ◽  
...  

Intercropping systems have become an interesting alternative for grain and forage production because they are sustainable systems that reduce carbon emissions in degraded pasture areas. However, few studies have used forage species recently introduced into the market, and more studies that assess the performances of these species in integrated systems are needed. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the agronomic characteristics of intercropped sorghum and Paiaguas palisadegrass (including the species name) in a crop-livestock integration system for pasture recovery. The field experiment was conducted in the municipality of Rio Verde, Goiás, Brazil, using a randomized block design with four replications. The treatments consisted of the following forage systems: monocropping of sorghum, monocropping of Paiaguas palisadegrass, row intercropping of sorghum with Paiaguas palisadegrass, interrow intercropping of sorghum with Paiaguas palisadegrass and intercropping of sorghum with oversown Paiaguas palisadegrass. To obtain a desired population of 240,000 plants ha-1, 12 seeds of sorghum and 5 kg of viable pure seeds of the forage species were planted per meter and hectare, respectively. The growth of Paiaguas palisadegrass in the same row as sorghum reduced the sorghum grain yield. The intercropping of sorghum with oversown Paiaguas palisadegrass hindered the initial development of Paiaguas palisadegrass in terms of plant height and number of tillers due to shading, and this effect was reflected in the dry mass production. Row and interrow intercropping provided higher dry mass production without affecting the forage quality. Therefore, the interrow intercropping of sorghum with Paiaguas palisadegrass was found to be a promising agricultural technique for grain and forage production that could be used for the establishment of new pastures or pasture recovery.


2018 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tainara Gomes Martins ◽  
Silvério Paiva Freitas Júnior ◽  
Lucas Nunes Luz ◽  
Cláudia Araújo Marco ◽  
Edilza Maria Felipe Vásquez

Agriculture ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 220
Author(s):  
Bruno Rafael de Almeida Moreira ◽  
Ronaldo da Silva Viana ◽  
Vinícius Lopes Favato ◽  
Paulo Alexandre Monteiro de Figueiredo ◽  
Lucas Aparecido Manzani Lisboa ◽  
...  

Development of strategies to ensure grazing systems are sustainably produced in harsh environments, while not fertilizing them conventionally, is challenging. Figuring out the extent to which dose of inoculation and period of watering can positively influence the establishment of an effective symbiosis between U. brizantha cv. Marandu and Azospirillum brasilense is the point of this research. The treatment consisted of mixing 1 kg seeds with the inoculant of the strains Ab-V5 and Ab-V6 at 5, 10, 20, and 40 mL kg−1, 2 × 108 CFU mL−1. The plants grew in pots watered 2, 4, 8, and 16 days after sowing over thirty-days, twice. The bioagent at 5–10 mL kg−1 enabled the plants watered up to 4 days after sowing to peak the production of dry mass of shoots (28.50 g) and roots (12.55 g). The efficiency of the symbiosis goes down quickly with increasing dose and delay of watering. Hence, if the dose of inoculant is higher than 10 mL kg−1, it cannot successfully act in plants watered at least 8 days after sowing anymore. In conclusion, A. brasilense can assist in U. brizantha cv. Marandu growth and healthy development unless a lack of water in the substrate and an overdose collectively deter its potential.


2007 ◽  
Vol 87 (3) ◽  
pp. 479-487 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. A. Sanderson ◽  
S. C. Goslee ◽  
K. J. Soder ◽  
R. H. Skinner ◽  
B. F. Tracy ◽  
...  

Grassland farmers face many challenges in pasture management including improving sustainability, reducing inputs of fertilizers and pesticides, and protecting soil resources. In this paper we provide our perspective on managing plant diversity within and among pastures as one tool to aid producers in meeting these challenges. Pasture ecosystems can be highly diverse, with a complex array of organisms contributing to ecosystem functioning. Within the broad range of plant and animal biodiversity in pastures, plant species diversity may be the most amenable to manipulation or management. Reported benefits of plant diversity in grasslands include: increased forage production, greater ecosystem stability in response to disturbance, and reduced invasion by exotic species such as weeds. Some view diversity as a sort of insurance policy where different species contribute in their own time or can take the place of species that fail from stress or mismanagement. Using mixtures of several forages in pastures, in some instances, can improve forage yield and reduce weed invasions. Pasture management for increased plant species diversity, however, is not simply mixing and planting as many forage species as possible. The kinds and amounts of different forage species along with their arrangement within and among pastures at the farm scale are critical features that must be considered. Tools must be developed to determine the appropriate species mixtures for varying soils, landscapes, climate and purposes to fulfill multiple functions for producers. Key words: Grazing ecosystem; forages; diversity; ecosystem function; ecosystem services


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document