Produção de grama estrela africana (Cynodon nlemfuensis) inoculada com Azospirillum brasilense

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate whether inoculation with Azospirillum brasilense affects the development of African star grass (Cynodon nlemfuensis) throughout its vegetative cycle. The study was conducted at the Dairy Cattle Teaching and Research Unit of UTFPR, Dois Vizinhos Campus. A five-year-established African star grass pasture was evaluated from October 2023 to March 2024, with and without the application of the A. brasilense inoculant. Prior to the evaluations, all plots were mowed to 10 cm above ground level. A single nitrogen topdressing (50 kg ha⁻¹ N) was applied 30 days after the initial mowing. Evaluations included cut-by-cut and total measurements of pasture height, dry matter (DM) production, leaves, and stems. The results were subjected to normality testing followed by analysis of variance, and means were compared using the F-test at a 5% significance level. Inoculation with Azospirillum brasilense did not affect pasture height, dry matter production, leaf and stem yields per cut and total, or the leaf-to-stem ratio. It is concluded that the Azospirillum brasilense based inoculant does not alter dry matter or leaf production, and does not interfere with the leaf/stem ratio of the pasture.