Effectiveness of pyraclostrobin on the production, morphology and nutritional value of winter cereal forage in successive cuts

ABSTRACT This study aimed to evaluate the forage yield, morphology, and nutritional value of three winter cereal wheat (Triticum aestivum cv. BRS Umbu), white oats (Avena sativa cv. URS Guará), and black oats (Avena strigosa cv. Embrapa 139), harvested in two successive cuts, at the vegetative and full vegetative stages, applied or not with fungicide pyraclostrobin. Pyraclostrobin was sprayed two times during the vegetative stage, the first application at the phenological stage V5, and the second, 12 days after the first cut of each forage species. In general, the application of pyraclostrobin resulted in an increase in the participation of leaves in the plant structure, from 72.2% to 86.9% in the second cut; and crude protein increased, and lignin decreased (from 22.75% and 9.89% to 25.60% and 6.30%, respectively) in the first cut and (from 20.82% and 11.73% to 22.28% and 9.20%, respectively) in the second cut. Black and white oats had a higher cumulative biomass production, 3,698 kg ha-1, and 3,277kg ha-1, respectively, and white oats had the lowest content of acid detergent fiber (27.90%) at the second cut.