Paiaguás is another excellent Brachiaria brizantha option to diversify pasture in medium fertility growth soils in semi-humid areas (cerrado).
It was selected based on its productivity, vigor, seed yield, and, even though it does not present leafhopper resistance, it has showed high potential for animal production in the dry period, with a high leaf percentage and good nutritional value
The greatest advantage of BRS Paiaguás is during the dry period, when it presents a larger accumulation of high nutrient forage, resulting in larger weight gain per animal and per area. In a three-year average, it produced 45 kg per hectare per year more in live-weight gain per area than BRS Piatã grass used as comparison.
BRS Paiaguás pastures showed good control of invaders under more intensive grazing. In crop-cattle integration it is easily used with midcrop corn, for autumn-winter forage production or no-till straw. Its desiccation requires low doses of glyphosate. This technological solution was developed by EMBRAPA (Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation) in partnership with other institutions
Source: EMBRAPA
Erect and cespitous growth, generating clumps. Medium size, with a height between 0.85 and 1.10 m. Fine green stems, leaf sheaths with low pilosity, leaf blades with no pilosity. Presents aerial tubers. Characteristic inflorescence with several branches (up to 12). In controlled conditions, it presented resistance to pasture plague insects (Notozulia entreriana and Deois flavopicta), resulting in low nymph survival. Low infestation and moderate damage caused by these species in the field is observed. The same does not occur with the red-leafhopper Mahanarva fimbriolata, which limits extensive use in areas with a history of problems with this type of insect.
| Usage Grazing and hay |
Digestibility High |
| Intercropping All legumes |
Palatability Good |
| Life cycle Perennial |
Altitude Up to 2000m |
| Drought tolerance Good |
Annual precipitation Over 800m |
| Leafhopper tolerance Medium |
Growth habit Clumping |
| Waterlogging tolerance Medium |
Germination 7 to 21 days |
| Tolerance to cold Medium |
Planting depth 2 to 3 cm |
