Maia et al., 2014. Am. J. Plant Sci., 5: 933-941

This study evaluated the dry matter production and chemical composition of Brachiaria forage grasses in the offseason after corn harvest in integrated crop-livestock system. The experiment was conducted at the Federal Institute of Goiás, Rio Verde Campus, using a randomized complete block experimental design, with four replications. The treatments consisted of the forages: Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu; Brachiaria brizantha cv. Xaraes; Brachiaria brizantha cv. Piata; Brachiaria brizantha cv. MG-4; Brachiaria decumbens and Brachiaria ruziziensis, intercropped in oversown corn for implantation of integrated crop-livestock system. The results showed that intercropping corn with Brachiaria grasses favors the production of high-quality forage in the offseason, and the cultivars of Brachiaria brizantha and Brachiaria decumbens showed higher dry matter production. And cultivars of Brachiaria brizantha (Marandu palisadegrass, Xaraes palisadegrass and Piata palisadegrass) are the most suitable for presenting food of better quality, compared with Brachiaria brizantha cv. MG-4, Brachiaria decumbens and Brachiaria ruziziensis.