Avanços na pesquisa com plantas forrageiras tropicais em pastagens: características morfofisiológicas e manejo do pastejo

[摘要] Grazing management has been the focus of the research with forage plants in Brazil for many years. However, it was during the last decade that significant changes and advance occurred regarding the understanding of important factors and processes that determine adequate use of tropical forage plants in pastures. The objective of this text is to provide a brief history of the research on forage plants and grasslands in Brazil, highlighting its evolution, trends, results and transition phases. That will help to put things into perspective and provide the basis for discussing the importance and relevance of studies involving evaluations of morphophysiological traits and responses of forage plants towards planning and definition of sound and efficient grazing management practices. The information is presented in a systematic manner, favouring an integrated view of the different trends and research philosophies used, indicating, critically, the need for revising and changing paradigms as a means of improving and consolidating the knowledge on animal production from pastures.

[学科分类] 兽医学

[关键词] ecophysiology of forage plants;grazing management;morphogenesis    Introdução O manejo de pastagens e do pastejo;juntamente com a introdução e avaliação de novos cultivares de gramíneas e leguminosas;têm sido alvos prioritários da experimentação com plantas forrageiras tropicais no Brasil há muito tempo