This study aimed to evaluate the fermentation pattern and dry-matter losses in corn (Zea mays L.) silage intercropped with Urochloa brizantha cv. Marandu and Megathyrsus maximus cv. Mombasa grasses in different sowing modalities through crop–livestock integration. The experimental design was in randomized blocks, which were arranged in a 2 × 5 factorial scheme with four repetitions. The first factor consisted of the grass cultivars Marandu and Mombasa. The second factor was the sowing modalities of grasses intercropped with corn: (1) simultaneous row sowing and inter-row corn sowing (no fertilizer); (2) simultaneous row sowing and inter-row corn sowing (with fertilizer); (3) simultaneous sowing with double grass row in the corn inter-row; (4) delayed sowing inter-row at 7 days after corn emergence; and (5) delayed sowing inter-row at 14 days after corn emergence. The forage buffer capacity (BC), silage pH and ammoniacal nitrogen (NH₃-N) content, forage (FORDM) and silage dry-matter (SILDM) percentages, gas losses (GL), effluent losses (EL), and dry-matter recovery (DMR) parameters on the ensilage were evaluated. Only forage BC, silage NH₃-N, and silage DMR variables differed (p < 0.05) from the control silage (monocropped corn) when the integration was carried out. The grass cultivar factors and sowing modalities for BC and NH₃-N variables had an effect. The intercropping of corn and Marandu grass or Mombasa grass, in any grass sowing modality, did not affect the quality of the silage.

This study aimed to evaluate the bromatological traits of Brachiaria brizantha cv. Piatã submitted to different cutting heights and nitrogen (N) rates. A randomized complete block design with sixteen treatments and four replications was used. The treatments arranged in 4x4 factorial arrangement, comprised four cutting heights (8, 16, 24 and 32 cm) and nitrogen rates (0, 100, 200, 300 kg N ha^-1). N rates were applied after a standardization cutting. Agronomic traits comprised number of tillers, dry mass, leaf blade pseudocolus ratio and amount of senescent material. Bromatological traits of morphological components leaf blade and pseudostem comprised crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF) and mineral matter (MM). In the first and second cuttings, maximum yields were obtained at 16 and 32 cm cutting heights combined with N rates of 180.5 and 230.5 kg ha^-1, respectively. No interaction was observed between N rates and cutting heights. It was concluded that 16 and 24 cm cutting heights combined with N rates of 200 and 300 kg ha^-1 improved agronomic and bromatological traits of Brachiaria with a better efficiency in pasture system.

The study aimed to evaluate the agronomic characteristics of elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schum.) genotypes on energy production in the combustion form. A randomized block design with 3 repetitions was used. The treatments were arranged in subdivided plots scheme, considering as a plot the genotypes and as subplots, the harvest season. The agronomic characteristics plant height (H), leaf length (LL), leaf blade width (LBW), stem diameter (SD), tillers number (TN), stem percentage (SP), dry matter yield (DMY) were evaluated. The rainy season provided greater H to elephant grass genotypes with height above 3.5 m. The average SP obtained by the genotypes was 68.21% and 67.21% to the first and second year of cultivation, respectively, which gives the biomass good quality of burning. The rainy season provided greater DMY comparing to the dry season. In the first year of cultivation there were genotypes with annual dry matter yield (ADMY) above 50 ton ha-1 year-1, however, the non-maintenance of soil fertility promoted the reduction of 39.17% and 39.05% in the DMY and ADMY, respectively. Analyzing the agronomic characteristics, we conclude that the promising genotypes of elephant grass to produce energy in the form of direct combustion are CNPGL 91-25-1, Cubano Pinda, BRS Canará, Porto Rico and Mercker.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the agronomic performance of sorghum grown in different combinations of row spacing and plant density, as well as possible interferences on silage quality. No other study dedicated to identifying the interference of plant spatial arrangement on the cultivation of silage material has been developed in the productive context of the Amazon Biome, making it necessary to understand the behavior of the studied factors. The treatments were arranged in a split-plot scheme: the plots corresponded to three row spacings (0.45 m, 0.60 m, and 0.75 m) and subplots at four densities (105,000, 120,000, 135,000, and 150,000 plants ha⁻¹). The agronomic and productivity characteristics of sorghum and the fermentative and bromatological characteristics of forage and silage were evaluated. The sorghum plants showed an increase in plant height and green and dry mass yield when using higher densities (p < 0.05). For the culm diameter variable, an isolated effect of the factors was observed, with reduced diameter when grown closer to inter-row spacing or using higher plant densities. No effect of the factors was found (p > 0.05) for morphological plant components. In silage, wider spacing promoted higher dry matter content. Regarding crude protein in the silage, higher percentages were obtained at closer spacing and higher plant density. The sorghum growing in dense conditions is indicated, given the positive performance in productivity and bromatological composition.

Integrated production systems were developed to preserve productive resources and maintain the profitability of agribusiness. However, the use of seeds of low physiological and sanitary quality and the implantation of agricultural and forage crops in production fields of low sanitary quality may favor the dissemination and proliferation of phytopathogens such as fungi. Therefore, using the scientific literature, this work aimed to identify the fungi associated with the main agricultural and forage crops that cause damage to the integrated production systems of Brazilian tropical regions and their control measures. This work was based on a literature review in the Scielo, Scopus and Google Scholar databases, with data obtained between 1999 and 2019. The keywords employed were “fungus”, “tropical grass”; “agricultural crops”; “ICLS” (Integrated Crop-Livestock); and “ICLF” (Crop-Livestock-Forest) and their respective terms in Portuguese, under different combinations. For the inclusion criteria, publications (papers, books, theses, dissertations, and scientific communiqués) from 1999 to 2019 which fit the study aim were selected, both in the Portuguese and English languages. The publications that did not meet the criteria of this study and were repeated in databases were considered as exclusion criteria. The main fungi associated with forage and agricultural crops and soils of integrated systems of Brazilian tropical regions are Bipolaris sp., Curvularia sp., Exserohilum syn. Helminthosporium sp., Phoma sp., Fusarium sp., Macrophomina sp., Pythium sp., Rhizoctonia sp. and Sclerotium sp. The main methods of fungal control are the use of quality seeds, crop rotation, resistant cultivars, and chemical seed treatment.