Evaluation of soil amendments in perennial ryegrass pastures associated with white and red clover in small-scale milk production systems

Abstract

Objective:  evaluate the effect of the inclusion of lime and dolomite soil amendments in an established pasture of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) cv. Tetragrain associated with white clover (Trifolium repens) cv. Ladino and red clover (Trifolium pratense) cv. Kendall. Methodology: Three treatments of soil amendments were implemented on a perennial ryegrass with white and red clover pasture A split plot experimental design was used. The treatments were: T1= control treatment (without soil amendment), T2= lime and T3= dolomite. The evaluated variables were: herbage mass (HM), dry matter (DM), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), crude protein (CP), in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) and estimated metabolizable energy (eME). Results: There were significant differences in all evaluated variables, the interaction between experimental periods and treatments was not significant for any variable. The treatments did not affect herbage mass. As for the the soil, a decrease in pH is observed at the end of the experiment, and there was an increase in the total soluble calcium, magnesium and nitrogen and a decrease in aluminum. Implications: This study illustrates the use of soil amendments, which somehow modulate effects of the farmer practices on the pasture soils. Conclusions: Inclusion of soil amendments in pastures did not increase dry matter production, content of FDN, FDA or IVDMD, but increased crude protein and evaluated minerals, and decreases aluminum.