Agronomic features of elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schum) cv. Roxo under irrigation

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate how different irrigation water depths influence the agronomical features of elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schum) cv. Roxo. Grass was cultivated in a pasture belonging to the Bovine Sector of the National Agrotechnical School of Caceres – MT. The experiment was a block design with five treatments and four repetitions. Treatments consisted of five water depths: 0 = 0% of available water (AW), 1 = 21% of AW, 2 = 34% of AW, 3 = 74% of AW, and 5 = 100% of AW. Evaluated features were production (dry matter ha-1), plant height, leaf/steam ratio, and stem diameter. Dry matter production of cuts from May and July increased linearly with increasing water depth (P < 0.05). Plant height increased linearly as water depth increased in the cuts of May and September, while the height of July cuts was 71.76 cm under an irrigation depth of 390.77 mm. In May, July, and September cuts, leaf percentage decreased linearly as water depth increased (P < 0.05). An increase of 1 mm in water depth reduced leaf percentage by 0.0936% (May), 0.0295% (July), and 0.0122% (September). Our results indicate that to improve dry matter production, May, July, and September cuts should be irrigated with water depths of 56.03 mm, 601.78 mm, and 577.65 mm, respectively.