ABSTRACT. The aim of this study was to evaluate the addition of macauba palm cake (Acrocomia aculeata) on the chemical composition, fermentation and aerobic stability of elephant grass silages (Pennisetum purpureum). The experiment was performed in a completely randomized design with four replicates. The treatments were composed of six levels of macauba palm cake (0, 6, 12, 18, 24, 30%) as additive to elephant grass silage. Dry matter and ethereal extract content of the silage increased linearly with the inclusion of the additive. Addition levels of 15.54% would provide 35% of dry mass, and the limit of 7.00% of ethereal extract in the silage could be obtained with 10.47%. The neutral detergent fiber content reduced linearly from 68.97 to 52.59%, but lignin increased linearly from 6.56 to 7.70%. There was a reduction of 0.17% in the ammoniacal nitrogen content for each 1% of cake. The minimum value of dry matter losses (1.33%) was estimated to the inclusion level of 23.70%. The aerobic stability increased with inclusions between 18 and 24% of cake. The use of levels between 10 and 15% of macauba palm cake are sufficient to optimize dry matter and ethereal extract contents of the silages and to provide a high aerobic stability with minimum losses.

Objetivou-se com esta pesquisa avaliar a resposta produtiva e os ciclos de colheita do capim-marandu irrigado e adubado com combinações contendo ureia e esterco bovino em diferentes períodos. Utilizou-se delineamento em blocos casualizados, em esquema de parcelas subdivididas no tempo com 5 tratamentos e 5 repetições. Foram testados cinco níveis de substituição da ureia por esterco bovino (0; 25; 50; 75 e 100% de esterco bovino) em três épocas de crescimento. O acúmulo de forragem total e de folhas com a inclusão do esterco em substituição a ureia reduziu em 59,24% e 61,23%, respectivamente. A produção acumulada e o número de ciclos de colheita decresceram com a inclusão de esterco bovino, de 44,7% e 46,66% respectivamente. As porcentagens de folha, colmo e morto foram influenciadas somente pela época, sendo os melhores resultados observados no segundo período. A produção acumulada e o número de ciclos de colheita decresceram com a inclusão de esterco bovino. A produção de forragem e os ciclos de colheita são afetados negativamente pela inclusão do esterco em substituição à ureia.

The objective of this work was to evaluate the productive response and harvest cycles of irrigated and fertilized marandu grass with combinations containing urea and bovine manure in different periods. A randomized complete block design was used, in a plot scheme subdivided in time with 5 treatments and 5 replications. Five levels of urea replacement by bovine manure (0, 25, 50, 75 and 100% bovine manure) were tested at three growing seasons. The accumulation of forage and leaves with the inclusion of manure in substitution of urea decreased by 59.24% and 61.23%, respectively. The accumulated production and the number of harvest cycles decreased with the inclusion of bovine manure, 44.7% and 46.66%, respectively. The percentages of leaf, stem and dead were influenced only by the season, and the best results were observed in the second period. The accumulated production and the number of harvest cycles decreased with the inclusion of bovine manure. Forage production and harvest cycles are negatively affected by the inclusion of manure as a substitute for urea.