Nitrogen soil fertilization and foliar application of urea on the yield and chemical composition of guinea grass

Abstract

This research was conducted at the Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, of the Universidade do Estado de São Paulo - UNESP - Campus of Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil to evaluate the effects of N fertilization (soil and foliar applications) on dry matter production and chemical composition of guinea grass (Panicum maximum, Jacq.). The grass was cut four times at 35-day intervals. The following treatments were studied: Control (no N), soil fertilization with 30 and 60 kg/ha and N, 20 kg/ha and N in the soil + 10 kg/ha and N in foliar application, and 40 kg/ha and N in the soil + 20 kg/ha and N in foliar application. N applied in the soil as ammonium sulfate and in foliar application as urea did not affect dry matter production and chemical composition of the grass probably due to the low levels of N used.