Mineral contents of leaves at different vegetative stages of four varieties of Brachiaria brizantha, a forage species with great potential

Abstract

This study determined the variation in the contents of Ca, Mg, Fe and silica in the leaves of the varieties Xaraes, Piata, Marandu and Locale of Brachiaria brizantha to verify the hypothesis that the aforementioned mineral contents of these varieties at the early, full and late tillering stages are sufficient in livestock feed. After cultivation in an experimental setup of complete random blocks and analyzes in the laboratory, the results showed that the Ca, Mg, Fe and silica contents of Brachiaria brizantha vary depending on the variety and vegetative stage. These contents in the different varieties and at the early, full and late tillering stages varied from 0.30 to 0.42% for Ca; from 0.20 to 0.39% for Mg; from 0.14 to 0.21% for Fe, and from 2.5 to 6.0% for silica. The analysis of variance indicates that there are significant differences between varieties and between vegetative stages for Ca, Mg, Fe and silica leaf contents. In relation to the needs of livestock, calcium, magnesium and iron contents recorded in the varieties at the different vegetative stages are sufficient for livestock feed, while the silica contents are not harmful to livestock, as they are less than 10 %.

Keywords: Brachiaria brizantha, variety, vegetative stage, minerals, livestock