BIOFERTILIZAÇÃO DO CAPIM ELEFANTE: PRODUÇÃO E MORFOMETRIA

Abstract

The use of swine manure in agriculture helps to preserve the physical conditions of the soil, providing better environmental quality and cycling of soil nutrients. This work aimed to evaluate the effect of swine biofertilizer and mineral fertilizer on the morphometry and production of elephant grass cultivars. The experiment was implemented at the IF Goiano - Campus Ceres, with a randomized block and split-plot design. The plots were four elephant grass cultivars, and the subplots, two forms of fertilization (mineral and biofertilizer). The cultivars were BRS Kurumi, BRS Canará, BRS Capiaçu, Cameroon Roxo. The evaluated morphometries were: plant height (AP), stem diameter (DC), number of leaves (NF), leaf-stem ratio (F/C), number of tillers (NP), green mass productivity (PMV), dry matter content (TMS) and dry mass production (PMS). Under the study conditions, the cultivars BRS Canará, BRS Capiaçu and Cameroon Roxo showed higher plant height values compared to BRS Kurumi. The highest TMS was for the Canará cultivar and the lowest for the Kurumi cultivar. Between Capiaçu and Roxo cultivars TMS did not differ. Cultivar BRS Kurumi was superior to the others in relation to the leaf-to-stem ratio variable. The chemical and organic fertilizations did not affect the productive and morphometric characteristics among the cultivars. The swine biofertilizer is promising for the production of elephant grass.