Eggshell as a source of calcium in the production, nutrition and bromatological composition of 'Piata' and 'Marandu' grasses

Abstract

The demand for environmentally sustainable agricultural production systems encouraged this study, which evaluated the productive aspects and nutritional status of 'Piata' palisadegrass and productive aspects and bromatological composition of 'Marandu' palisadegrass fertilized with eggshell, replacing other sources of calcium. 'Piata' palisadegrass was grown in the field, in a randomized block design, and 'Marandu' palisadegrass in pots, in a completely randomized design, both with eggshell doses equivalent to 0, 78, 156, 234, 312 and 390 kg ha(-1) of total calcium, using four replicates. The productive aspects of 'Piata' and 'Marandu' grasses were not significantly altered by the eggshell doses, as well as the contents and accumulations of N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, B, Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn in the 'Piata' palisadegrass and dry mass, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, hemicellulose, crude protein, digestible energy, metabolizable energy and the apparent digestibility of dry mass in the 'Marandu' palisadegrass. As a source of calcium, eggshell did not increase the mass production of the forages and did not promote improvements in the nutritional status of 'Piata' palisadegrass and bromatological composition of 'Marandu' palisadegrass.