Productivity of Panicum maximum cv. Mombaça under rotational grazing and irrigation

Abstract

Irrigation of tropical grasses is a reality based on the empirical knowledge of farmers, having no scientific evidence. This field experiment was carried out to evaluate the productivity of the Mombaça grass (Panicum maximum Jacq.cv. Mombaça) under rotational grazing and center pivot irrigation, and the main weather attributes responsible for increases of the Mombaça dry mass yield. The experiment was carried out from July to December 1998, in the Central Brazilian Savannah region (Typic Haplustox), São Desidério, Bahia, Brazil. The Mombaça forage mass was measured at 30 days of growth and before each grazing. Mathematical models were developed to relate the forage productivity to weather attributes. The dry mass yield and the rate of growth, during the winter season, were not statistically different. Even though, both of them increased during the spring season, with the higher dry mass yield at the end of the experimental evaluation period. The lower growth rates, during the spring season, were observed in the initial period, corresponding to lower air temperatures during the pasture rest period. With the increase of the minimum air temperature, the dry mass yield also increased. The forage yield was higher during the spring season as compared to the winter season, because of the higher minimum air temperature during the rest period, and of the initial leaf area. At the Savannah region, the main attributes responsible for increasing the Mombaça dry mass yield were minimum air temperature and soil water availability.