Intercropping of grains and forage grasses is a common practice in integrated crop-livestock systems for maximizing production. This work aimed to evaluate the influence of different densities and sowing periods of Brachiaria brizantha BRS Piatã on the yield of the cultivar M-8527 RR sown in intercropping. The experimental design was a randomized block in a (2 x 5) factorial arrangement with four replicates, including two sowing periods of B. brizantha (20 and 30 days after emergence of soybean seeds) and five sowing densities of Brachiaria (0, 3, 6 , 9 and 12kg ha-1 seed). The following parameters were evaluated for soybean: plant height, shoot dry matter and grain yield. The variables evaluated were influenced by the densities and sowing periods of B. brizantha. Regardless of the sowing period of B. brizantha, all densities up to 3kg ha¹ led to a reduction in soybean yield. However, yield was higher than 5 % only at the density of 12 kg ha-1 sown at 30 DAE, as well as at 9 and 12 kg ha-1 sown at 20 DAE. The competitive effect of soybean, cultivar RR M- 8527 was higher when B. brizantha cv. Piatã was sown 30 days after crop emergence.
integrated crop-livestock systems; competition; Brachiaria brizantha; pasture renewal
