Raquel Santiago Barro

Forage yield and nitrogen nutrition dynamics of warm-season native forage genotypes under two shading levels and in full sunlight

The successful achievement of a highly productive understorey pasture in silvopastoral systems depends on the use of well-adapted forage genotypes, showing good agronomic performance and persistence under shading and grazing. In this study, the herbage dry matter yield (DMY) and nitrogen nutrition dynamics were determined in three native warm-season grasses (Paspalum regnellii, Paspalum dilatatum and Paspalum notatum) and a forage legume (Arachis pintoi) under two shading levels compared with full sun. The experiment was conducted in the Campanha region, Bage, state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, during two evaluation cycles (2008/2009 and 2009/2010). Three shade cloth levels (0%, 50% and 80% of light restriction) were applied to the forage genotypes in a split plot design, in which shading levels were the main plot and forage genotypes were the subplots, with three replications. P. regnellii showed the highest accumulated DMY (1500 and 1700 g m-2, respectively, for the first and second evaluation cycles) at all shading levels and showed no DMY decreased under the heavy shade (80%). Average DMY over the four genotypes under the 50% shade level was higher or equal compared with full sun. Influence of rainfall was observed on the DMY performance of all genotypes: the positive effect of moderate shading (50%) on P. dilatatum and P. notatum DMY was associated to a low soil water availability status. Increased shading level resulted in high nitrogen nutrition index values on grasses, in comparison with full sun. All genotypes performed well under the moderate shading level, but the DMY of both P. regnellii and P. dilatatum and the herbage N content in P. notatum and A. pintoi of all genotypes stood out, showing that those main genotypes are promising to grow in silvopastoral systems at the Campanha region in southern Brazil.

Regeneração de plantas a partir de segmentos de base de folhas em aveia

The ability for in vitro plant regeneration is limited in most of the cereal crops. One way to minimize this problem has been to search for alternative sources of tissues with the ability for in vitro cultivation. This report aims at the investigation of the potential and the amount of time necessary for in vitro plant regeneration of Brazilian oat (Avena sativa L.) genotypes from leaf base segments. One to two millimeter coleoptile segments of oat genotypes were cultivated for 21 days on MS medium (MURASHIGE & SKOOG, 1962) plus 2,0mg L-1 de 2,4-D (2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid), and transferred to plant regeneration media. Variability among genotypes for somatic embryogenesis and plant regeneration from leaf base segments was not found, but it was possible to regenerate oat genotypes previously considered recalcitrants for in vitro regeneration. Besides that, it was possible to reduce to 5 months the plant regeneration period with this explant. The non-significant correlation between the percentage of somatic embryogenesis and plant regeneration indicates that the embryogenesis is not the only way for plant regeneration from this explant.

Sward structure and relationship between canopy height and light interception for tropical C4 grasses growing under trees

Abstract. The canopy height (CH) at 95% light interception (LI) is a valuable defoliation frequency strategy used to handle variability in herbage accumulation throughout the year, mainly in C4 grasses. Such a strategy has been adopted as an open pasture management index, but defoliation frequency and intensity remain unsolved issues for shade-grown forages. A field experiment was conducted for 2 years to determine the influence of tree canopy (Eucalyptus dunnii) shading and nitrogen availability (0 and 300 kg N ha–1 year–1) on CH at 95% LI of six perennial tropical forage species. The plots were cut at 95% LI, and the height of the residual sward was kept at 50% of the corresponding CH at 95% LI. The shade level ranged from ∼40% at the beginning of the experiment to ∼60% at the end of summer 2013. Variations in CH at 95% LI occurred because of shading and across seasons. The range of these variations was species-dependent. Overall, species growing under trees showed higher CH, except for Paspalum notatum and Megathyrsus maximus in the first year. There was a significant increase in the length of the sheaths and leaves, as well as a decrease in tiller density and leaf : stem ratio in plants growing under trees. Nitrogen also had an impact on CH; however, its application did not compensate the shade effect on CH. Therefore, our results suggest that greater CH should be considered in case of defoliated, shade-grown plants and that such strategy might change throughout seasons.

Silvopastoral systems in the cold zone of Brazil.

The cold zone of Brazil occupies approximately 6 % of the national territory and is located between latitudes 24° S and 33° S. In this area, extensive cattle and sheep farming systems and conventional cropping and forestry are predominant. With the end of government subsidies by the decade of 1980s, an increase in farming production costs, a decrease of native forest covering, an increase of degraded areas in agriculture and livestock farming systems and a mismatch between timber national supply and demand after 1990s, an opportunity arises for integrate forestry with livestock and agriculture activities in Brazil, particularly in the southern. This chapter initially reports key events over the last three decades that have supported the increasing interest of farmers and enterprises on agroforestry activities, with focus on silvopastoral systems in the cold area of Brazil. Then, relevant advances on silvopastoral systems from research and extension services were reported, highlighting the screening of shaded adapted forage plants and management, trees species screening for silvipastoral systems and animal performance and behaviour under trees. Finally, the chapter analyses the existent opportunities to increase silvopastoral areas in southern Brazil and future challenges for research, development and technology transfer.