Objetivou-se avaliar características produtivas, estruturais e nutricionais dos capins Tifton 85 e Piatã e da leguminosa feijão-guandu em monocultivo ou em cultivo consorciado, com e sem aplicação de nitrogênio. Adotou-se o delineamento de blocos casualizados com parcelas subdivididas no tempo, com sete tratamentos nas parcelas principais e 3 tempos de avaliação nas sub-parcelas, com 4 repetições. Os tratamentos consistiram: Cajanus cajan cv. 'Super N' (feijão-guandu); Brachiaria brizantha cv. 'Piatã' solteira sem aplicação de nitrogênio (N); B. brizantha cv. 'Piatã' em associação com feijão guandu; B. brizantha cv. 'Piatã' solteira com aplicação de N (150kg ha-1); Cynodon sp. Tifton 85 em cultivo solteiro sem aplicação de N; Tifton 85 em associação com feijão-guandu e Tifton 85 com aplicação de N (150kg ha-1) e três períodos de avaliações. A associação dos capins Piatã e Tifton 85 com feijão-guandu proporcionou produção forrageira equivalente à adubação nitrogenada e incrementos com elevação nos teores de proteína bruta e redução nos teores de fibra em detergente neutro. O capim Tifton 85 se mostrou menos tolerante ao sombreamento imposto pelo feijão-guandu.

This trial aimed at evaluating characteristics as: production, structural and nutritional requirements of Tifton 85 and Piatã grasses and pigeonpea in single or intercropped tillage, with and without nitrogen application. The experimental plot in randomized blocks with plots subdivided through time, with 7 treatments in the main plots and three periods of evaluation on subplots with four replications. The studied treatments were: Cajanus cajan cv. Super N (pigeonpea), Brachiaria brizantha cv. single Piatã without application of nitrogen (N); B. brizantha cv. Piatã in association with pigeonpea; B. brizantha cv. single Piatã with application of N (150kg ha-1); Cynodon sp. Tifton 85 in a single crop without application of N; Tifton 85 in association with pigeonpea and Tifton 85 plus an application of N (150kg ha-1) and three cycles of evaluations. The association of Tifton 85 and Piatã grasses with pigeonpea provided forage production like nitrogen fertilizer and increase crude protein content and a reduction on neutral detergent fiber contents. Tifton grass was less tolerant to shading from pigeonpea.

The objectives of this study were to estimate the curve of dehydration, bromatological composition and occurrence of fungi in Tifton 85 grass, submitted to four methods of dehydration. The curves of dehydration were studied in a completely randomized design with a 4 × 11 factorial scheme with four drying systems (1 conditioning + 1 turn-over; 2 conditionings + 1 turn-over; no conditioning + 1 turn-over and no conditioning + 2 turn-overs) and 11 sampling times (0, 3, 15, 18, 21, 24, 39, 42, 45 and 47 hours after the cutting), with six replicates. For the bromatological composition and fungi occurrence, the experimental design was completely randomized in a 4 × 3 factorial scheme with the four drying methods of Tifton 85 grass and three periods of evaluation (before the cutting, at the time of the baling and 30 days after storage) with six replicates. It was found that after the first hour after cutting and at the end of the period of dehydration, Tifton 85 plants that were treated with conditioners showed higher levels of dry matter. Stored hay that was treated with conditioners presented higher levels of acid detergent insoluble protein. Until baling, the drying methods did not alter the crude protein content of hay; however, after storage, the hay submitted only to turn-over showed crude protein content higher (13.90%) than those submitted to conditioners (9.94%). There was an increase in the occurrence of fungi after storage, but the application of conditioners and one turn-over resulted in lower CUF/g, compared with other treatments, enhancing the effect of conditioners on accelerating the dehydration rate and obtaining better hay storage conditions