Grazing intensity and nitrogen in oat dry mass and yield of corn crop livestock systems

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of different grazing intensities and nitrogen fertilization applied on oats and its effect upon maize cultivated in succession in a no tillage system. The experiment was carried out at Abelardo Luz municipality during the winter and summer seasons of 2004/2005. The experimental design was a completely randomized block in a split-plot arrangement with four replicates. Treatments were five different grazing intensities, represented by utilization periods in an oat culture grazed for 0, 3, 6, 9 and 12 weeks, and at sub-plot level nitrogen doses were applied at 0 and 150 kg/ ha. The availability and residual dry matter of oat was evaluated each three weeks after the beginning of grazing until the drying of the pasture. Was also evaluated the yield of maize after oat under different intensities of grazing and nitrogen fertilization. Results indicated the existence of interaction between grazing and winter nitrogen fertilization, which affected maize nutrition and yield. Moreover, the oat residual dry matter availability was positively influenced by applied nitrogen. The nitrogen in the pasture, besides favoring the production of residual dry matter of oats, determines the greatest potential productivity of corn in sequence. In the absence of nitrogen fertilization on winter pastures, the grazing intensity should be reduced so as not to affect the productivity of maize.