Impacto da suplementação energética na heterogeneidade em pastagem de inverno

Abstract

Winter pastures of wheat BRS Tarumaxi and ryegrass BRS Ponteio represent an important forage resource for animal production systems in the Southwest region of Paraná. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of different levels of maize-based energy supplementation on the canopy structure of these species. The experiment was carried out at the Federal University of Technology – Paraná, Dois Vizinhos Campus, using three supplementation levels (0%, 0.4%, and 0.8% of live weight) under continuous stocking with variable rate to maintain canopy height between 10 and 20 cm. Forage production variables (height, forage mass, and accumulation rate) showed no significant differences among treatments (P>0.05), and atypical climatic conditions during the experimental period—characterized by drought and above-average temperatures— severely limited plant growth. It is concluded that energy supplementation at the evaluated levels did not modify pasture productive potential nor its heterogeneity, while climatic factors were decisive in reducing biomass production.