The objective ofthis study was to evaluate grazing management strategies of Brachiaria decumbenscv. Basilisk managed with different heights under continuous grazing with cattle.Two grazing management strategies were evaluated: maintenance of pasture withan average height of 25 cm throughout the experimental period and maintenanceof pasture on the average of 15 cm in height during winter, up to 25 cm fromthe beginning of spring. The split-plot scheme and the randomized block designwith four replications were adopted. The grazing management strategies correspondedto the primary factor, while the seasons (winter, spring and summer) correspondedto secondary factor. The reduction of the average sward height to 15 cm in thewinter resulted, when compared with pasture maintained at 25 cm, in overallhigher growth rates (95 kg/ha.day DM) and leaf blade (66.1 kg/ha.day DM), aswell as higher rates of total accumulation (81.5 kg/ha.day DM) and leaf blade(52.6 kg/ha.day DM). The accumulated forage production (from winter to summer)was higher in the pasture lowered to 15 cm in winter (25.6 t/ha DM) comparedwith that managed with an average height of 25 cm (22.2 t/ha DM). Regardingthe seasons of the year, in the winter, there were lower rates of overall growth(6.4 kg/ha.day DM), leaf blade (5.6 kg/ha.day DM) and pseudostem (0.8 kg/ha.dayDM), and also lower total (-6.6 kg/ha.day DM) and leaf blade (-7.5 kg/ha.dayDM) accumulation rates. In the spring there was a higher rate of leaf senescence(22.4 kg/ha.day DM). The accumulation of forage is incremented when the pastureof B. decumbens is lowered to 15 cm during the winter, and in the springand summer, its average height is increased to 25 cm.
