The tiller is the basic unit of grass growth and tiller density determines the horizontal ground cover, leaves production and pastures perennially. The objective in this study was to quantify the number of aerial and basal tillers and basal:aerial tillers ratio in Urochloa brizantha cv. Marandu, established in Brazilian savannah, submitted to nitrogen doses (0, 50, 100 and 150 kg N/ha). The experiment was carried out in the Forage and Pasture Sector of Jataí Federal University (UFJ) and after soil correction and fertilization, plots were established with Marandu palisade grass in a randomized block design, with four replications and four N doses. Tiller count was performed after the uniformity cut and at the end of each cycle, when the average height of the forage canopy reached average 30 cm. Tillers were identified with colored wires (one color/generation), in a total of six generations (cycles). The highest ratio of basal:aerial tiller was 1.36 and occurred at dose of 100 kg N/ha as an answer to the highest tiller survival and lowest tiller mortality. Highest percentage of basal tiller and the lowest percentage of aerial tiller occurs at dose of 100 kg N/ha. Nitrogen fertilization is an important strategy to obtain more production of high quality mass, highest ground cover by highest survival rate, less mortality and a better proportion between basal and aerial tillers in Marandu palisade grass, favoring their perennity when is used 100 kg N/ha
