Cutting Height of Mombasa Grass Under Silvopastoral and Monoculture Systems

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the production of Mombasa grass cultivation under two different systems: monoculture and silvopastoral, with heights of 70, 80, 90, and 100 cm. Two seasons were evaluated: rainy period (December to March) and rain/drought transition (March to June). The variables evaluated were: total dry mass (TDM), dry mass (DM) of the morphological components, number of tillers, efficiency of nitrogen use, DM content, number of harvest cycles and cutting intervals. The experimental design was a randomized block design with five replications. The monoculture system presented the highest yields of TDM, number of tillers and DM of the morphological components in the two evaluated periods. The main variable affected by shading was the number of tillers per area, which directly affects all variables linked to production. In addition to the type of system, the time of the year also influenced the production of DM of the grass. The evaluation of grass productivity in silvopastoral system evidenced that the plant tends to respond differently to cutting management when compared to the monoculture system. In the monoculture system, the recommended height for greater TDM yield and better leaf/stem ratio in the rainy period and the rainy/drought transition period was 80 cm, maintaining the residue height at 40 cm. As for SSP, cutting height of 70 cm presented the highest TDM and leaf/stem ratio for the two evaluated periods, maintaining the residue height at 40 cm.