AGRONOMIC AND PRODUCTIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF SUNFLOWER INTERCROPPED WITH FORAGE IN A CROP-LIVESTOCK INTEGRATION SYSTEM

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to evaluate the agronomic characteristics and yield of a sunflower crop grown together with forages in a crop-livestock integration system. The experiment was carried out in a randomized complete block design, in a 3×3 + 1 factorial scheme. Three sunflower intercropping with forage plants [sunflower + Urochloa ruziziensis (SB); sunflower + Panicum maximum cv. Tanzania (SP); sunflower + Urochloa ruziziensis + Cajanus cajan (SBGu)], sown in three ways [simultaneous sowing (SS), delayed sowing (DS), and simultaneous sowing with herbicide/graminicide (SSH) application], with the monocroped sunflower as a control, with three years of cultivation (2013, 2014, and 2015). The following characteristics were evaluated: plant height, stalk diameter, head diameter, number of achenes per heads, the mass of thousand achenes, harvest index, and the productivity of achenes. Data were submitted to analysis of variance, and the means were compared by the Tukey and Dunnett tests at 5% probability. The SB and SBGu intercropped promote greater sunflower productivity. The forage Panicum maximum cv. Tanzania in intercropped with sunflower reduces plant production components and productivity. Lapsed sowing delayed and simultaneous sowing with herbicide/graminicide application promote higher productivity of sunflower. RESUMO Objetivou-se avaliar as características agronômicas e a produtividade do girassol cultivado em consórcio com forrageiras no sistema integração lavoura-pecuária. O delineamento utilizado foi blocos casualizados, em esquema fatorial 3 × 3 + 1. Assim, foram estudados, três consórcios do girassol com plantas forrageiras (girassol + Urochloa ruziziensis (GB), girassol + Panicum maximum cv. Tanzânia (GP), girassol + Urochloa ruziziensis + Cajanus cajan (GBGu)), semeados de três formas diferentes (semeadura simultânea (SS), semeadura defasada (SD) e semeadura simultânea com aplicação de herbicida/graminicida (SSH)), tendo o girassol solteiro como testemunha, com quatro repetições, em três anos de cultivo (2013, 2014 e 2015). Foram avaliadas as características: altura de planta, diâmetro da haste, diâmetro do capítulo, número de aquênios por capítulo, massa de mil aquênios, índice de colheita e a produtividade de aquênios. Os dados foram submetidos à análise de variância e as médias comparadas pelos testes Tukey e Dunnett, a 5% de probabilidade. Os consórcios GB e GBGu promovem maior produtividade do girassol. A forrageira Pani