Brachiaria physiological parameters in agroforestry systems

• Main Authors: Márcia Vitória Santos, Evander Alves Ferreira, Daniel Valadão, Fabiana Lopes Ramos de Oliveira, Vitor Diniz Machado, Raul Ribeiro Silveira, Matheus de Freitas Souza
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Universidade Federal de Santa Maria
• Series: Ciência Rural
• Subjects: Uroclhoa brizantha; fisiologia da produção; integração lavoura-pecuária-floresta
• Online Access: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0103-84782017000500653&lng=en&tlng=en

ABSTRACT: This study aimed to assess the effects of Eucalyptus and maize shading on characteristics related to water use by Brachiaria in agroforestry systems. Treatments were arranged in a split-split-plot design, with plots consisting of different spacing between Eucalyptus plants (12.0×2.0m and 12.0×4.0m), split-plots of different distances between Brachiaria and Eucalyptus (6.0, 4.0, and 2.0m), and split-split-plots of Brachiaria sowing sites (maize row and inter-row). One treatment with Brachiaria under full sunlight was included. Bread grass intercropping in maize inter-rows associated with the densest Eucalyptus spacing and bread grass proximity to Eucalyptus tree crowns adversely affected the stomatal conductance, internal carbon, and transpiration rate of bread grass. Water use efficiency of bread grass intercropped in maize rows decreased, regardless of the Eucalyptus plot design and distance between forages and trees.