ELEPHANT GRASS NITROGEN AND POTASSIUM FERTILIZATION (Pennisetum purpureum Schum. cv. Napier)

During the agricultural year of 1998, nine treatments resulting from the combination of three doses of nitrogen (100, 200 and 400 kg/ha/year of N) with three doses of potassium (50, 100 and 200 kg/ha/year of K2O) were evaluated. Treatments were distributed to a split plot design, with two replications. In the statistical analyses, the two seasons (rainy season, dry season) were considered as blocks, and the doses of nitrogen and potassium as the whole plot treatments. In the rainy reason, nitrogen fertilizer positively influenced leaf dry matter production. The NDF and ADF concentrations reduced with the potassium fertilizer addition in the rainy season. In general, nitrogen fertilizer increased leaf: stem ratio and crude protein concentration of the elephant grass. The NDF and ADF concentration of the rainy season were greater than in the dry season, while crude protein was lower as compared to the dry season concentration.