Gas exchanges, chemical composition and productive characteristics of tropical grasses deferred I: cultivars BRS Massai and BRS Tamani

ABSTRACT This study aimed to evaluate the physiological parameters, the productive characteristics, structural and chemical composition of Megathyrsus maximus (syn. Panicum maximum) cultivars BRS Massai and BRS Tamani submitted to different periods of deferment and moments of use. The experimental design was randomized complete block design in a factorial scheme 2 x 2 x 3, being two grass cultivars (Massai grass and Tamani grass), two deferment periods (rainy season and dry-rainy transition) and three sealing times (40, 80 and 120 days). Both cultivars had higher leaf transpiration rate when used for 40 days of deferment (0.63 μmol/m2/s). It was observed that the cultivar BRS Massai presented higher photosynthetic rate (P