Morphogenesis of marandu palisade grass closer to or farther from cattle feces varies by season

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the morphogenic and structural characteristics of the Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu Syn. Urochloa brizantha cv. Marandu during the different seasons of the year, in locations closer to or farther from feces deposited by cattle in pastures. The experimental design was in randomized blocks, with four replicates. The following response-variables were calculated: phyllochron (PHYL), leaf appearance rate (LAR), leaf elongation rate (LER), stem elongation rate (SER), leaf senescence rate (LSR), life span of the leaf (LSL), stem length (SL), leaf blade length (LBL), number of dead leaves per tiller (NDLT), and number of living leaves per tiller (NLLT). Farther from the feces, a larger phyllochron period was observed in all seasons. The LSL was greater in winter, especially farther from feces. Closer to feces, higher values were observed for LAR, LER and LBL compared with the sites farther from feces. The SL, SER, and NLLT were lower in the winter compared with the other seasons. In the summer, a greater NDLT value was observed than in the other seasons. The deposition of feces by cattle and the seasons of the year both affect the morphogenesis of B. brizantha cv. Marandu, generating the observed spatial and temporal variability in pasture grass.