Morfometria, produção e composição químico-bromatológica de cultivares de palma forrageira submetidos à adubação orgânica

Abstract

The objective of the experiment was to evaluate the productive, morphometric and bromatological components of two spineless cactus cultivars submitted to organic fertilization. The experimental design was a randomized complete block in a factorial scheme of 5 x 2 (five doses - 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100 t ha-1 ), having as source bovine manure and two cultivars “Mexican Elephant Ear” (Opuntia stricta) and “Girl's Hand” (Nopalea cochenillifera), with three replicates. For productive characteristics there was not observed effect of the interaction between doses of fertilizer and cactus pear cultivars (DxC) in the production of green matter (PGM) and height (H). On the other hand, an isolated effect of doses and cultivars was observed on the productive characteristics. For the morphometric characteristics, there was an effect of doses of fertilizer and palm cultivars, linearly increasing the morphometric characteristics according to the increase of the doses of fertilizer supplied. The bromatological variable dry matter production showed no effect of the interaction (DxC), as well as no effect of cultivars, however, it had an effect of the applied doses, presenting a linear decreasing effect in relation to the doses supplied.The organic fertilization in the forage palm provided the highest number of cladodes, the highest values of green matter and the cladode area index, to the cultivar Mexican Elephant Ear (MEE), which made the variety stand out as more productive when compared to the variety Girl's Hand (GH).