With the objective of determining some anatomical and physicochemical characteristics of two cultivars of Brachiaria brizantha cvs. Marandu and MG-5 Vitória, harvested at 45 and 65 days after planting under growing doses of ,nitrogen (N), an assay was conducted in pots in greenhouse of the Science Department in the Federal University of Lavras - UFLA, Lavras, MG. An experimental randomized block design with the treatments arranged in a factorial scheme 2x2x5 was used, with, two genotypes, two cutting ages and five doses of N (0, 100, 200, 300 and 400 mg/dm³) with four replicates totalizing to 20 treatments and 80 experimental units (pots). The variables studied were: tiller density, polar and equatorial diameters of stomata on the adaxial and abaxial leaf surfaces, CP, NDF and ADF contents and IVDMD coefficients. The results allow to verify that increased doses of N influences positively DM yield at the two cutting ages. The cutting age influences the number o tillers, the density and polar and equatorial diameters of stomata and the cultivar Vitória presents more plastic in the stomata characteristics compared to the cultivar Marandu. Higher doses of N cause increase in the contents of CP and IVDMD. Lower inter-curtting intervals promoted the lowest contents of NDF and ADF.
Digestibility; stomata; Marandu; MG 5 - Vitória
