DESEMPENHO DE BOVINOS E EFEITO DO PASTEJO NA CULTURA DA SOJA EM SISTEMA INTEGRADO DE PRODUÇÃO AGROPECUÁRIA

Abstract

The crop-livestock integrated system consists on crop diversification, promoting rotation/succession in the same area with low environmental impact. In this system, forage production in the off-season is an important tool to increase animal productivity and also be able to produce enough biomass to provide conditions for direct seeding system of the crop in succession and provide the soil with nutrients from its decomposition. This study aimed to evaluate grazing effect and different forage species in sucession to soybean in crop-livestock integrated system, measuring the forage production, animal productivity, biomass production, decomposition rate and nutrient release, and soybean yield. The experiment was carried out in 12 plots with 4 replications of each forage species: Brachiaria ruziziensis, Brachiaria brizantha cv. BRS Xaraés e Panicum maximum cv. BRS Quênia. Each plot had an ungrazed subplot. There was no difference in animal performance regarding total weight gain and daily weight gain and stocking per hectare among forages. As for dry matter production, there was no difference between forage cultivars. For decomposition and nutrient release from the litter, the areas where the animals entered for grazing promoted greater cycling of macro and micronutrients, compared to areas without grazing. Soybean grain yields did not differ between forage species and grazing or not.