The objectiveof this trial was to evaluate two intervals of grazing on elephant grass (Pennisetumpurpureum Schum.) pasture. It was tested a variable grazing interval whenit was observed an interception of 95% of active photosynthetic radiation bysward, and a 26-day fixed grazing interval. The experimental design was a completerandomized design with time repeated measurements. The interval of grazing,pre and post grazing sward heights, sward interception of active photosyntheticradiation and leaf area index were greater when the fixed pasture interval wasapplied. There was no effect of intervals of grazing on forage mass, leaf massand stem mass in pre- or post-grazing neither for sward volumetric density inpre grazing. Dead material mass was lower for variable grazing interval thanin fixzed grazing for both pre and post grazing. Neutral detergent fiber andacid detergent fiber contents were lower in the grazing managed in the variableinterval than in the fixed grazing interval. The use of variable grazing intervalintervals that promoted reduction in resting time of the pasture resulted inpositive effects on forage quality.
