Tiller number in signalgrass under continuous stocking systems/Numero de perfilhos do capim-braquiaria em regime de lotacao continua

The study was conducted to identify, through assessments of tillering, appropriate management strategies for Brachiaria decumbens cv. Basilisk under continuous stocking with cattle. Two management strategies were studied: pasture with 25 cm throughout the experimental period, and pasture with 15 cm in winter and 25 cm in spring and summer. A split-plot and randomized block design with four replications were adopted. The management strategies represented the primary factor, and the seasons (winter, spring and summer) were the secondary factor. The lowest balance between rates of appearance (TAR) and mortality (TMR) of tillers and the lowest number of vegetative tillers occurred in winter. In spring and summer, the balance and number of vegetative tillers were higher and did not differ. The lowering of pasture in winter resulted in greater balance between TAR and TMR and higher number of tillers in relation to management on sward fixed at 25 cm. There were greater numbers of reproductive and dead tillers in summer and winter, respectively. The pastures with fixed height of 25 cm contained a higher number of dead tiller. Under continuous stocking, the lowering of B. decumbens pasture in winter and its increase to 25 cm in spring and summer optimizes turnover of tillers. Key words: sward height, Brachiaria decumbens, season, seasonal management, grazing. Objetivou-se identificar, pela avaliacao do perfilhamento, as estrategias adequadas de manejo da Brachiaria decumbens cv. Basilisk em lotacao continua com bovinos. Foram estudadas duas estrategias de manejo: pasto com 25 cm de altura durante todo periodo experimental, e pasto com 15 cm no inverno e 25 cm na primavera e verao. Foram adotados o esquema de parcelas subdivididas e o delineamento em blocos casualizados com quatro repeticoes. As estrategias de manejo foram o fator primario e as estacoes (inverno, primavera e verao), o fator secundario. O menor balanco entre taxas de aparecimento (TApP) e de mortalidade de perfilhos (TMoP) e o menor numero de perfilho vegetativo ocorreram no inverno. Na primavera e verao, o balanco e o numero de perfilhos vegetativos foram altos e similares. O rebaixamento do pasto no inverno incrementou o balanco entre TApP e TMoP e o numero de perfilhos, em relacao a sua manutencao em 25 cm. Houve maiores numeros de perfilhos reprodutivos e mortos no verao e no inverno, respectivamente. Os pastos com 25 cm possuiram maior numero de perfilho morto. Em lotacao continua, o rebaixament