CARACTERÍSTICAS ESTRUTURAIS DE PERFILHOS VEGETATIVOS E REPRODUTIVOS EM PASTOS DIFERIDOS DE CAPIM-BRAQUIÁRIA

The aim of this work was to compare the structural characteristics of vegetative and reproductive tillers on Brachiaria decumbens cv. Basilisk pastures diferred for 73, 95 and 116 days. Randomized block design in a split plot scheme with three replications was used. The stockpiling period did not influence (P>0.10) the number of vegetative tillers (VT) but increased (P<0.10) the number of reproductive tillers (RT) (from 16 to 117 tillers/m2). On pastures diferred for up to 95 days, RT were heavier (P<0.05) than VT. Contrarily to VT, the relation between the number and weight of reproductive tillers was positive (P<0.10). A linear increase (P<0.01 and P<0.10) for tiller pseudostem length in relation to the diferring periods of the pasture was found. The number of living leaves (NLL) per tiller was not increased (P>0.10) by the deferring period. The RT revealed (P<0.05) a higher pseudostem length, higher number of dead leaves (NDL) and lower NLL when compared to VT. RT showed (P<0.05) higher percentages of stem and dead leaf as well as a lower percentage of living leaf (P<0.05) than VT. VT showed a better morphological composition than RT. The deferring period alters the structural characteristics and worsens the morphological composition of tillers on deferred Brachiaria decumbens cv. Basilisk pastures.KEYWORDS: Brachiaria decumbens, leaf number, morphological composition, tiller number, tiller weight.