Considering the cattle-raising in Brazil, the pastures are cultivated in very low soil fertility conditions, with very low calcium, magnesium and sulfur concentrations. The liming and the gypsum usage are the most common ways to increase the calcium level in these soils. In this context, this research aimed to evaluate the effect of calcium sources on the development of monocultured and intercropped grasses. The experiment was carried out in a greenhouse at Embrapa Rice and Beans, on Red Latosol of clay texture. The experimental design used was the randomized blocks with a 3 x 2 x 2 factorial scheme, being three treatments related to calcium (control, lime, and gypsum), two forage species (Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu and Brachiaria humidicola), and two forage species intercropped with a leguminous plant (Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu + Calopogonio and Brachiaria humidicola + Calopogonio), with four replications. At 60 days after germination a cutting was done at 5 cm height from the ground, for evaluation of the dry mass production, root length, and content of calcium and sulfur in the leaf tissue. The best plant height and root development was verified in the monocultured Brachiaria brizantha and also when intercropped with Calopogonio. Calcium application through the gypsum source resulted in higher production of dry mass in the monocultured Brachiaria brizantha as well as when intercropped with Calopogonio. Liming promoted higher calcium concentrations in the foliar tissue in all systems while gypsum promoted higher sulfur concentration, both being higher in the intercropped systems.
Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu; B. humidicola; Calopogonium muconoides; lime and gypsum
