Biomass production and nutritive value of the grass stratum in a silvopastoral system dominated by saman (Samanea saman (Jacq) Merr)

Abstract:

A study was carried out at La Antonia experimental station of Universidad Central de Venezuela to evaluate the effect of shade of saman (Samanea saman) on pasture production. The experiment was performed on two plots with different tree densities. The first plot (PI) had one saman tree and the herbaceous stratum was composed by Digitaria swazilandensis (Ds) and Urochloa arrecta (Ua). The second plot (PII) had four trees plus Ua and Urochloa mutica (Um). Biomass production, forage nutrient concentration and some plant morphological characters were measured during 6 consecutive regrowth weeks along three times of the year: 1) wet-dry period 2003 (P1), 2) dry-wet period 2004 (P2), and 3) wet-dry period 2004 (P3). At PI the percentages of photon flux density (PFD) beneath the single tree canopy were 38, 82, and 41% along P1, P2, and P3, respectively, whereas the corresponding values for PII were 33, 48, and 26%. Specific leaf area increased in all grasses as PFD decreased. At P1 and P3, leaf area index increased in Ds and Ua, and diminished in Um. Ds y Ua showed a high phenotypic plasticity to low PFD intensities, while Um had a greater response at P2. In general, the reduction in soil water content along P2 decreased dry matter yield at 100% light. In this case, a PFD of 48 to 82% appeared to have a compensatory effect on the pasture, since soil humidity was increased in some cases, improving total forage biomass under shade. During P1 the forage protein content of almost all grasses increased under shade when compared to full light, whereas phosphorus values, cell wall content and the dry matter degradability did not show any important variation under shade. Pasture radiation use efficiency (RUE) increased from full light to shade within the ranges 0.7 to 1.5 g/MJ and 1.4 to 2.4 g/MJ for Ds and Ua, respectively. These RUE increments may have a significant effect on improving grass responses to decreased light under tree cover. © 2009 Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Agricolas INIA.

Año de publicación:

2008

Keywords:

• Dry matter accumulation
• Nutrient content
• digestibility
• Forage grasses
• Natural shade
• silvopastoral system
• Radiation use efficiency (RUE)

Fuente:

scopus