LIMING EFFECTS ON THE NUTRITION AND DRY MATTER YIELD OF TIFTON 85 GRASS

Abstract

Soil acidity is the most limiting factor to the productivity of crops and, in the livestock context, the non-correction implies in a low animal performance. The objective of this study was the evaluation of the effects of liming in nutrition, growth, and production of Tifton 85 grass. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse, in pots filled with 3 dm³ of samples of an oxisol. The experimental design was completely randomized, with five treatments and four replications: zero (control), half (0.77 g dm^-3), once (1.55 g dm^-3), one and a half times (2.32 g dm^-3), and twice the dose of reference for this crop (3.10 g dm^-3). The reference dose was calculated to increase the soil base saturation to 70%. It was observed that liming promoted significant effects on the growth of grass, in the second and third cuts, and that the maximum production of dry matter occurred with a soil base saturation of 67%. These results demonstrate the need of soil acidity correction for the development and production of grass.

KEY-WORDS: Cynodon ssp.; grass; oxisol; soil base saturation; soil acidity.