<b>Effect of grazing methods and intensities on annual ryegrass under natural reseedling</b> - DOI: 10.4025/actascianimsci.v30i4.6463

Abstract

This work was conducted at EEA/UFRGS, in Eldorado do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil (30°05’S e 51°39’W), to evaluate the effects of different grazing intensities and methods on the population dynamics of ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) under natural reseedling. Two grazing intensities (moderate and low) were used, under continuous and rotational grazing. The experimental design included randomized blocks with 2x2x3 factorial arrangements (2 grazing intensities x 2 grazing methods x 3 replicates). The following year, the fields were desiccated with herbicides and a soybean plant crop cycle was established during the summer season. Ryegrass tillers from natural reseedling were counted after the soybean harvest. There was no interaction (p > 0.05) between grazing intensities and methods, and the effects for each treatment were independently analyzed. While the grazing methods did not affect natural ryegrass reseedling (p = 0.4636), there were significant effects under different grazing intensities (p = 0.0003). The number of ryegrass tillers established by natural reseedling under low grazing intensity (6,776 tillers m-2) was much higher than under moderate grazing intensity (211 tillers m-2). Grazing intensity is a key factor to maintain ryegrass production in systems based on natural reseedling.