The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of growing seasons, liming, fertilization, and defoliation levels on morphogenetic and structural traits of Trachypogon plumosus in the savanna of the state of Roraima, Brazil. The following treatments were evaluated: correction of soil fertility (control, liming, fertilization, and liming + fertilization), defoliation levels (removal of 50 and 75% of the leaves), and growing seasons (rainy and dry). The grass positively responded to the correction of soil fertility. Fertilization and liming + fertilization, during the rainy season, provided higher leaf appearance rates (LApR), leaf elongation rates, number of live leaves (NLL), leaf lifespan, final leaf length (FLL), leaf area index (LAI), and tiller population density (TPD), besides a lower phyllochron. The evaluated variables were significantly reduced during the dry season, except for leaf senescence rate. The lowest defoliation level positively affected LApR, FLL, and LAI, but not NLL and TPD. The management with lower defoliation level maximizes the harnessing of environmental resources and forage use efficiency.
leaf area; soil correction; phyllochron; management; native pasture; tillering
