Resumo

CAMACARO, Selina  e  MACHADO, Wilfre. Producción de biomasa y utilización de Leucaena leucocephala fertilizada y pastoreada por ovinos. Zootecnia Trop. [online]. 2005, vol.23, n.2, pp.091-103. ISSN 0798-7269.

A field experiment was carried out in the Sheep Section of the Faculty of Agronomy of the Central University of Venezuela, located in Maracay, Aragua state to evaluate the effect of the fertilization of Leucaena leucocephala on the biomass production and its utilization for grazing sheep. An association of the legume already sown in single rows of 1x4 m, on a pasture of Cynodon plectostachyous, was used. An aleatory block design was used with three repetitions, including a negative control (without fertilization) and a positive control (S, Cu, and Zn) and the six remaining treatments with a missing element. Four destructive and non destructive samplings were made; the first was made on 10 plants, evaluating height, number of branches, length of branches Ø < 6 mm, length of branches Ø > 6 mm, number of leaves, length of leaves, dry matter of leaves, dry matter of branches Ø < 6 mm and dry matter of branches Ø > 6 mm. For the non destructive samplings, except for dry matter, the same variables were evaluated. There were differences (P<0.05) in the variables MSH and MST< for treatment effect, standing out the effect of the S (alone or combined) and the combination of Cu and Zn, with the other elements, because it produced an increase of available biomass. The MST> and the % of participation of the MST < in the available biomass were not affected by the treatments (P>0.05). The utilization of the L. leucocephala was not affected (P>0.05) by the treatments. The results indicated that under these conditions, the fertilization of L. leucocephala increased the biomass production, but it did not affect its utilization by grazing sheep.

Palavras-chave : Leucaena leucocephala; fertilization; biomass production; utilization; grazing sheep.