Harvest Frequency Affects Canopy Height and Herbage Accumulation of Forage Peanut Cultivars.

In recent years there has been renewed interest in increasing the participation of tropical forage legumes in animal production systems, due to their advantages involving symbiotic nitrogen fixation and high nutritive value. Forage perennial peanut has been considered a promising tropical legume for use in tropical and subtropical environments. The aim of this study was to quantify the effects of two harvest frequencies (28 and 42 d) on pre-harvest canopy height and herbage accumulation (HA) of four forage peanut cultivars (Arachis pintoi Krap. & Greg.) (Amarillo, Alqueire-1, BRS Mandobi, and Belmonte). A field trial was conducted in Piracicaba, SP, Brazil, during the summer growing season of 2013/2014. The complete randomized design was used with three replications. Belmote and Mandobi had a taller canopy at pre-harvest compared to Aqueire-1 and Amarillo in both harvest frequencies. The total seasonal forage accumulation was affected by cultivar (P < 0.0001) and harvest frequency (P = 0.0137). Belmonte was the most productive cultivar (8 Mg vs. 5 Mg DM ha^–1). There was no difference in HA of Alqueire-1, Belmonte, and BRS Mandobi (~5 Mg DM ha^–1). Even though Belmonte and BRS Mandobi had similar pre-harvest canopy heights (~23 cm), they differed in HA (8 vs. 5 Mg DM ha^–1 for Belmonte and Mandobi, respectively), suggesting differences in other canopy characteristics. All cultivars were more productive when harvested every 28 d (6 vs. 5 Mg DM ha^–1). The use of a shorter harvest frequency (28 d) favors HA of forage peanut cultivars.