An experiment was carried out to evaluate the effect of irrigation, followed by increasing levels of nitrogen and potassium (100-80; 200-160; 300-240; 400-320, respectively N and K2O), on the production and chemical composition of the leaf lamina at the elephantgrass. The experimental delineation was of blocks randomized with three repetitions for treatments irrigated and dry land. The low temperatures and the smallest light hours in the dry season determined the low plant forage growth, even with the irrigation. However, in the summer, there was fast growth of plant forage under irrigation, emphasizing the culm growth in relation to leaf laminas, determining the lower relations to the higher fertilizer levels. The leaf laminas under irrigation also showed the lower crude protein contents and higher NDF and ADF contents. So, more frequent managing in the irrigated pastures could control the culm growth and available material of better chemical composition.
chemical composition; nitrogen; Pennisetum purpureum; potassium; water
