Sorghum and Eucalyptus Growth As Affected By Different Arrangements for Crop-Livestock-Forest Purposes.

SORGHUM AND EUCALYPTUS GROWTH AS AFFECTED BY DIFFERENT ARRANGEMENTS FOR CROP-LIVESTOCK-FOREST PURPOSES

Carlos Juliano Brant Albuquerque

Agriculture and cattle raising expansion into new areas to supply the demand for food has become unviable. Moreover, the increasing presence of degraded pastures shows the need to revert such situation. Thus, integration of crop production with cattle rising and forestry (iLPF) becomes a new standard, allowing the renovation of areas in degradation process while, at the same time, allows the production of food with agriculture and cattle ranching, besides obtaining products and by-products of forests. Therefore, this study evaluated the location of sorghum plots (middle, right side or left side of eucalypts) under different spatial arrangements of eucalypts; determined the wood yield and different plant spatial arrangements and generated information about the major agricultural characteristics of sorghum and sylvicultural ones of eucalypt, in consortium, for the iLPF system, in Minas Gerais savannah. Eucalypt clone I 144 was used for the forest component and hybrid grain sorghum 1G220 for the crop component. The effect of spatial arrangement was evaluated in single rows 10 x 2 m, double rows 2 x 3) + 15 m or (2 x 3) + 20 m and triple rows (3 x 2 x 3) + 20 m. Sorghum was evaluated in a randomized block design, in split plots with five replications. The experimental unit consisted of four eucalypt spatial arrangements, and the split plots consisted of each of the three evaluation locations for sorghum agricultural characteristics. The experimental design for eucalypt was randomized blocks, with six replications, and the minimum experimental unit consisted of two trees. The results showed that the spatial arrangement with greatest sorghum height was 10 x 2 m with the evaluation done in the center of the eucalypt rows. All other characteristics, grain matter, average yield and effective yield were greater in the center of eucalypt alleys and the spatial arrangement of (2 x 3) + 20 m. The diameter at breast height increased as plant space increased in the systems 10 x 2 m and (2 x 3) + 15 m; plant height increased in more dense arrangements, 10 x 2 m, (2 x 3) + 15 m e (3 x 2 x 3) + 20 m; wood volume per plant and per hectare were greatest in the systems 10 x 2 m and (2 x 3) + 15 m.

Financial support: FAPEMIG, CNPq and CAPES.