Agronomic characteristics of the Panicum maximum cv. 'Mombaca' submitted to increasing levels of phosphorus

The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the effects of the addition of increasing doses of P2O5 on the height of the dossal, number of stalks, production of dry matter of leaves and the stems of the Mombaca-grass, in different ages. The experiment was implanted in an Eutrophic Red Nitossol. The experimental designs used were complete randomized block, with four replicates, five levels of P2O5 (30, 60, 90. 120, and 150kg center dot ha(-1)) and a tester. Analyzing the first and second harvest of the pasture the tillering showed positive linear response to the increasing phosphorus levels, for the third and fourth harvest, the data were adjusted to the quadratic model. Increasing P2O5 doses decreased the leaf lamina fraction of aerial part dry matter, however raised the stems fraction. In the first, second and third harvest, aerial part dry matter production increased linearly (7, 15 and 19kg ha(-1) of DM for kg ha(-1) of P2O5, respectively). In the fourth harvest the data were adjusted to the quadratic model of regression, the maximum production (8.3Mg ha(-1) of DM) was obtained in the application of 103kg ha(-1) of P2O5.