EFFECT OF LIMING ON Brachiaria brizantha CV. MARANDU GROWTH IN LATOSOL UNDER DIFFERENT HISTORICAL USE

Abstract

Soil samples were taken from a same continuous of a Dark Red Latosol in four different sites: a - original savannah soil under forest, b – original cerrado soil + 40 ton ha^-1 of bovine manure, c - soil cropped annually in wavy slope and d - plane place, also cultivated, with erosion control. Each soil received three levels of liming (0, 1 and 2 t ha^-1). The indicative plant was the Brachiaria brizantha. The experimental design was randomized blocks, in 3x4 factorial combination, three levels of lime and four soil places, with four replications. The parameters observed were plant height, green weight, dry weight, root length, nutrients in the soil and plant and soil exchangeable cations. The Brachiaria growth and production were affected by the soil fertility but this forage did not respond the liming. So much the fertility as the liming affected the nutrient absorption, the residual fertility after cropping and the exchangeable complex of the soil.

KEY-WORDS: Forage; liming; savannah soil.