AGRONOMIC EFFICIENCY OF NITROGEN AND PRODUCTION OF Cynodon plectostachyus (K. Schum.) Pilg. DEPENDING ON TWO CUTTING FREQUENCIES
Dídimo Vera Arteaga1†, Galo Cedeño García2*, George Cedeño-García3, Jessica Cargua Chávez4, y María Garay Lugo1
ABSTRACT
Nitrogen fertilization and cutting frequency are essential to improve the production and nutritional quality of forage crops. The objective of this study was to evaluate the agronomic efficiency of N and performance of the Cynodon plectostachyus star grass based on two cutoff frequencies under low tropic conditions. The treatments consisted of five levels of N (0, 50, 100, 150 and 200 kg ha-1) and two cutoff frequencies (30 and 45 days). The variables evaluated were dry matter yield (DM) and agronomic efficiency of N (AEN) application. The production of DM and AEN were significantly influenced (p < 0.01) by the levels of N, cutoff frequencies and the respective interaction, except for AEN where the interaction was not significant (p > 0.05). DM and AEN showed a linear behavior with an increase in N, regardless of the cutoff frequencies. Similarly, DM and AEN performance increasedwith the higher cutoff frequency. DM increased by 8.39; 14.40; 20.14 and 26.24% with 50, 100, 150 and 200 kg N ha-1, respectively, with respect to the plot with no N application. The average AEN was 2.72; 3.35; 3.59 and 4.18 kg of DM kg-1 of N applied with 50, 100, 150 and 200 kg N ha-1, respectively. However, levels of 150 and 200 were statistically equal. The dose of 150 kg of N ha-1 would be sufficient for grass fertilization.
Key words: Star grass, Cynodon plectostachyus, nitrogen, nutrition, fertilization, efficient use.
1 Departamento de Producción Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Zootécnicas, Universidad Técnica de Manabí, km 2 ½ vía Chone – Boyacá, Chone, Manabí, Ecuador.
2 Carrera de Ingeniería Agrícola, Escuela Superior Politécnica Agropecuaria de Manabí Manuel Félix López, Campus Politécnico El Limón, km 2 ½ vía Calceta – El Gramal. Calceta, Manabí, Ecuador.
3 Departamento de Agronomía, Facultad de Ingeniería Agronómica, Universidad Técnica de Manabí, km 13 ½ vía Portoviejo – Santa Ana, Santa Ana, Manabí, Ecuador.
4 Carrera de Tecnología Superior en Producción Agrícola, Instituto Tecnológico Superior Calazacón, Av. Los Anturios y Calle B, Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas, Ecuador.