ABSTRACT:
The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of different gliricidia planting densities on productive and qualitative parameters. The experiment was carried out at the Experimental Station Pedro Arle, Embrapa Tabuleiros Costeiros (Embrapa Coastal Tablelands), in Frei Paulo, Sergipe, Brazil. The effect of densities of 10,000; 20,000; 30,000 and 40,000 plants ha-1 was tested in biomass production (fresh and dry), dry matter content (DM), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and acid-detergent fiber (ADF), in gliricidia leaves and tender stems. The experiment consisted of a randomized block design with four replications. Production of leaf and stem fresh biomass; production of leaf dry matter; percentage of fresh leaves in relation to the total fresh matter; and percentage of leaf dry matter of 13 cuttings were evaluated from September 2nd, 2009 to December 18th, 2013. There was increase in the production of total fresh matter, leaf fresh matter, and leaf dry matter (P<0.05) in planting densities greater than 20,000 plants ha-1. Year effect (P<0.05) was found only for total production of fresh matter, production of fresh leaves, percentage of leaf fresh matter, leaf dry matter content and crude protein.
Key words:
high-density cultivation; leguminous trees; forage legumes
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