A studywas conducted in the Brazilian Cerrados to evaluate the performance of six tropicalforage grasses (Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu, B. brizanthacv. MG-4, B. decumbens cv. Basilisk, Panicum maximum cv. Mombaça,Melinis minutiflora and Hyparrhenia rufa), associated or not withthe tropical forage legume Stylosanthes guianensis cv. Mineirão,in a silvopastoral system with a clone of Eucalyptus sp. The forageswere established in plots of 12 x 10 m, in the interrows of eucalypts, in arandomized block design with three replications. Ground cover, proportion ofthe legume and total dry matter availability in the understorey were evaluatedone year after the establishment, under short time grazing. After two grazingcycles, there was reduction of the proportion of the legume in the mixture withall grasses, notably with the more aggressive ones (B. brizantha cv.Marandu and B. decumbens), where it practically disappeared. With theother grasses, however, the presence of the legume favored the productivityof the understorey. The grasses with the best productive performance were B.brizantha cv. Marandu, B. decumbens and P. maximum cv. Mombaça,the latter mainly when associated with the legume.
