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ESTABLISHMENT AND MANAGEMENT OF ANDROPOGON GAYANUS´S PASTURES

The gamba-grass (Andropogon gayanus cv. Planaltina) is a perennial forage grass,

erect, that presents tillerings with to 1.0 m of diameter. Its tillers presents height
varying between 1.0 to 3.0 m. Native of the Africa Tropical, at present is
disseminated in the majority of tropical savannas, in areas with dry station well
prolonged.

Climate and soil - The gamba-grass vegetates well in altitudes that ranged since the
level of the sea to 1,400 m, mainly in regions where the rainfall oscillates between
1,000 and 2,000 mm/year. Adapted to higher rainfall seasonally dry tropics. It
tolerates to nine months of drought, although his better growth ocurrs in regions
with three to five months of dry season. Its fotossintetic rate and metabolic activity
are mantained under conditions of water stress and show quickly regrowth with the
first rains. It presents excellent adaptation to acid soils and low natural fertility,
developing better in the deep and well drained. However, responses satisfactorily to
the moderated liming levels application (600 to 1,000 kg/ha) and phosphorus
fertilization (50 to 100 kg of P2O5/ha). For the gamba-grass, the phosphorus critic
internal level was estimated in 0,135%, which was obtained with the application of
57.9 kg/ha of P2O5.

Establishment - The sowing should be carried out in the beginning of the rainy
period (October/November). The seeds can be distributed in row or in lines, to the
depth of 2.0 cm, since the seeds are very small in the spacing of 0.6 to 1.0 m
between lines or in pits (0.5 x 0.5 m) when is utilized seedlings. After the sowing, it
suggests the utilization of a roll compaction for facilitate the seed cover. The density
of sowing varies of 10 to 15 kg/ha, as affected by seeds quality and plantation
methods. When in mixture with forage legumes, the sowing can be in broadcast or in
lines spaced of 1.0 m.

Agronomic characteristics – The gamba-grass presents the following characteristics:

high tolerance to the fire; good potential for seed production; does not present
problems of fotossensibilization; resistant to the spittlebug; bad host of ticks; high
palatability and crude protein contents; quick regrowth in the dry season; easily
eliminated by the plow and good acceptance by equines. Its erect growth habit
bennefits the establishment of balanced mixtures with forage legumes as Pueraria
phaseoloides, Desmodium ovalifolium, Stylosanthes capitata, S. guianensis and
Centrosema macrocarpum C. acutifolium and C. brasilianum.

Forage production and nutritive value - The productivity of dry matter of the gamba-
grass, in general, is enough elevated, however, can be affected by various factors
(soil fertility, spacing, density of plantation, management and climatic conditions). In
the Western Amazonia, the forage production of dry matter are around 10 to 14 and,
3 to 6 t/ha, respectively for the dry and rainy seasons. The nutritive value of the
gamba-grass is considered between moderate and good, considering voluntary
intake, forage digestibility and chemical composition. Plants with six weeks of
regrowth presents dry matter in vitro digestibility of 55 to 60% and crude protein
contents between 8 and 10%. In Rondônia, were obtained crude protein contents of
10.7 and 7.0%; phosphorus contents of 0.20 and 0.15% and, calcium contents of
0.29 and 0.20%, respectively for plants with 35 and 63 days of regrowth,
respectively.

Management - Pastures of gamba-grass well formed and managed present a

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capacity of support of 1.5 to 2.0 UA/ha in the rainy period and 1.0 to 1.3 UA/ha in
the dry period. Whenever possible utilize rotational grazing for optimize the animal
performance. The animals should be excluded of the pasture when the grass plants
presents 10 to 20 cm of stubble height. The weight gains can vary of 400 to 600
g/an/dia and between 350 and 500 kg/ha/ano. In Rondônia, utilizing continuous
grazing, with seasonal adjustment of the animal stocking rate, were obtained weight
gains of 235, 310 and 421 kg/ha/ano, respectively for stocking rates of 1.0; 1.74
and 2.52 UA/ha. For pastures of gamba-grass in mixture with Desmodium
ovalifolium cv. Itabela, submitted to rotational grazing (7 days of occupation for 21
days of rest), considering the forage availability and chemical composition, its
recommends the utilization of 1.5 and 1.0 UA/ha, respectively for the dry and rainy
periods.

Newton de Lucena Costa, Amaury Burlamaqui Bendahan, Vicente Gianluppi, Paulo

Sérgio Ribeiro de Mattos, Ramayana Menezes Braga (Embrapa Roraima)

Data de inclusão: 12.10.2008

Embrapa Roraima - newton@cpafrr.embrapa.br

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