Abstract

BOVER, Katia; ALVAREZ, D; LAMELA, L  and  GARCIA, Mikelín. Evaluation of the establishment of Leucaena leucocephala cv. Cunningham in a livestock production farm of the Perico municipality, Matanzas, Cuba. Pastos y Forrajes [online]. 2013, vol.36, n.4, pp. 445-452. ISSN 0864-0394.

The objective of this work was to evaluate the establishment of Leucaena leucocephala cv. Cunningham in a farm of a cooperative of credits and services (CCS) of the Perico municipality. The work was carried out on a lixiviated Ferralitic Red soil, in a 6-ha area divided into five paddocks. The land preparation was performed in the whole experimental area, making 2-m wide strips with an ADI-3 plow followed by harrowing. Seedling survival after transplant, height, number of branches and floristic composition of the pastureland, as well as the effect of weeding and the damage caused by the animals on plant height, were determined. A variance analysis was applied and the data were processed with the statistical pack SPSS® version 10.0 for Windows XP. Plant survival showed a value of 98 %; the weeding activity had a positive effect on growth, while the plant defoliation by the animals affected establishment. The population of natural pastures (Dichanthium caricosum and D. annulatum) was maintained around 66 % and the twining legumes (Teramnus labialis, Neonotonia wightii and Macroptilium atropurpureum) decreased from 12 % on the third month after transplant, to 6 % on the fifteenth month. The system was considered established when the plants exceeded 2 m of height. It is concluded that the weeding operation had a positive influence on the performance of height and establishment in L. leucocephala, while the defoliations caused by the animals delayed establishment.

Keywords : plant establishment; Leucaena leucocephala cv. Cunningham.

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