PRODUCTION AND MORPHOPHYSIOLOGY OF PALISADEGRASS BRACHIARIA BRIZANTHA CV. XARAÉS UNDER NITROGEN AND PHOSPHORUS FERTILIZATION

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the production and morphological and physiological characteristics, yield and crude protein (CP) concentration of Brachiaria brizantha cv. Xaraés submitted to nitrogen and phosphorus. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse. Four levels of nitrogen (0, 75,150 and 225 mg/dm3) and three levels of phosphorus (0, 140 and 280 mg/dm³) were used. The N increased the dry weight of shoots and roots and the density tiller (DT) in all plant growth, while phosphorus levels increased the dry weight in the first growth and increased DT in the first and third harvests. The interaction of N and P occurred only in the second cut in production of shoot dry mass. The combined rates of N and P influenced the content of CP in the various categories of leaves and stem plus sheats. None of the nutrients employeed or their interaction was significant on the photosynthetic rate, conductance, intercellular CO2 concentration and transpiration and the leaf/stem ratio.