Leandro Lopes Cancellier

Ammonia volatilization from enhanced-efficiency urea on no-till maize in brazilian cerrado with improved soil fertility

High nitrogen losses by ammonia volatilization are expected when urea is used as the source of N. The use of controlled-release urea and urease inhibitors are possible strategies to reduce such losses and increase nitrogen use efficiency. This study aimed to evaluate nitrogen losses by ammonia volatilization from stabilized, slow and controlled release urea and its absorption by maize grown under no-till in an improved Cerrado soil. Four N sources were used: conventional urea, urea + N-(n-butyl) thiophosphoric triamide (NBPT), urea + Cu and B and urea coated by sulfur + polymers. These N sources were surface applied along the rows using three N doses of 100, 150 and 200 kg ha-1. No N was added to the control. Data were collected regarding N losses by volatilization, the N contents accumulated in the stubble and grains, and the yields of the stubble and grains. Stabilized urea and slow release urea were efficient for postponing the ammonia volatilization peaks. The urease inhibitors postponed the peaks for up to two days, reducing the accumulated volatilization by 18% when compared with common urea. Polymer sulfur coated urea resulted in a 37% reduction in ammonia volatilization. Increasing the N application rate to 200 kg ha-1 resulted in 16% greater yields and 37% greater N accumulation in the plants relative to the control. However, the stabilized and slow-release urea did not improve the N accumulation or yield. Consequently, the nitrogen use efficiency of maize was not improved relative to the use of conventional urea.

Produção forrageira e composição bromatológica de combinações genômicas de capim-elefante e milheto

The objective of this work was to evaluate the agronomic performance of genomic combinations from elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schum.) and pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (E.) Leek), in order to determine the Pennisetum glaucum potencial as a germoplasm for elephant grass improvement. Three cultivars and eleven genomic combinations were evaluated for fresh forage production (PMV), total dry matter production (PMS), dry matter ratio (%MS), leaves dry matter production (PMSF), stem dry matter production (PMSC), leaf/stem ratio (RFC), height (ALT), plant vigor (VF), number of tillers (NP), acid detergent fiber ratio (FDA), Neutral detergent fiber ratio (FDN), crude protein ratio (PB) and in vitro dry matter digestibility (DIVMS). All characteristics, except for RFC and NP, showed significant difference for genotypes (p < 0.05), point out to the genetic variability among the evaluated genotypes. As to forage dry matter production, the HCM-5x-2 genomic combination outstood the pentaploids while the HCM-4x-2 outstood the tetraployds. The improvement of forage quality in Pennisetum through the introgression of favorable traits to the millet was enhanced by the improvement of genomic pentaploids combinations peformance for bromatologic traits, what showed their potential for being included in genetic breeding programs.