Nitrogen cycling in a Brachiaria-based silvopastoral system in the Atlantic forest region of Minas Gerais,Brazil

In the south-eastern region of Brazil there are millions of hectares of deforested, almost-treeless hillsides with sparse ground-cover of grasses of African origin. For the establishment of more productive pastures in these areas, silvopastoral systems (SPSs) have been recommended, and the objective of this study was to quantify the N fluxes in the soil/plant/animal systems as a means compare the sustainability of a SPS planted with legume trees (Acacia mangium and Mimosa artemisiana) and eucalyptus, compared to that of a grass-alone Brachiaria decumbens (BDH) pasture. The annual live weight gain of Zebu × Friesian heifers, assessed 5 years after pasture establishment, was significantly higher on the SPS than on the grass-alone pasture, at 205 and 177 kg head^?1 year^?1 respectively. The N deposited as animal excreta (38–49 kg ha^?1 for BDH and SPS, respectively), especially urine, is considered to be much more susceptible to loss than N derived from decomposing plant litter, and was found to be much less than the N recycled though the grass litter (107 and 114 kg ha^?1, respectively) in both systems. The extra N recycled in tree-leaf and grass litter increased this by 34 kg N ha^?1 in the SPS and we conclude that this would contribute to sustain forage productivity. The added advantage of trees in the provision of shade for the animals and protection from soil erosion should further contribute to the long term sustainable productivity of this SPS.