Nutritional evaluation of Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu cultivated in soils developed from basalt and sandstone in the state of Paraná

Abstract

Determining the nutritional composition of a pasture is necessary to evaluate its quality, aiming to meet the requirements of feeding animals and guarantee good performance. The quality of the forage biomass produced depends directly on the fertility and type of soil, environmental conditions, and management. In this scenario, the aim was to evaluate the chemical composition, in vitro digestibility of dry matter, and macro- and micronutrient contents of Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu cultivated in soils developed from basalt and sandstone in the state of Paraná. A total of 120 forage samples were collected in a soil developed from basalt and 116 in soil developed from sandstone. Forage harvesting occurred in autumn and spring for basalt soil (season effect), and in spring (soil effect) for sandstone soil. Soil samples (0–20 cm) were collected in the spring season, at the same forage collection sites, to obtain a greater sample representativity regarding climate–soil–plant relationships. Forage samples were separated in leaf blade and stem + sheath, and analyses of dry matter (DM), mineral matter (MM), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), lignin, cellulose, hemicellulose, in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD), total digestible nutrients (TDN), nitrogen, and macro- and micronutrient contents were performed. In soil samples, the contents of P, K, Ca, Mg, Mn, and Zn were analyzed. There were season and soil-type effects on the chemical composition of the cultivar studied. The highest levels of protein, NDF, ADF, lignin, and cellulose were obtained in autumn. In samples from soil developed from basalt, higher levels of hemicellulose, IVDMD, and TDN were obtained in the spring. K, P, Mn, and Zn presented levels within the range recommended for the studied forage, but the values of Ca and Mg in autumn and N in the three studied periods remained below the level considered adequate. Soil nutrient contents were influenced (P < 0.05) by the soil source material, and the highest levels of K, Ca, Mg, Mn, and Zn were observed in soil developed from basalt. Forage cultivated in spring in the soil area developed from basalt, was nutritionally superior in relation to forage cultivated in the soil developed from sandstone.