Ingestive behavior dynamics in contrasting sward structures

• Grant number: 19/22988-4
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Effective date (Start): January 01, 2020
• Effective date (End): December 31, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Animal Husbandry - Pastures and Forage Crops
• Principal researcher: Taise Robinson Kunrath
• Grantee: Débora Fabbri Antonio
• Home Institution: Instituto de Zootecnia. Agência Paulista de Tecnologia dos Agronegócios (APTA). Secretaria de Agricultura e Abastecimento (São Paulo - Estado). Nova Odessa , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The objective of this work will be to determine the height of the pasture (ideal structure) where the maximum forage intake rate occurs by sheep grazing in Aruana grass (Panicum maximum cv. Aruana) grazing with forage legumes Macrotilomoa axillare, Neonotonia wiight, Calopogonium mucunoides, Stylosantes spp., Kept under continuous stocking. There will be four treatments of canopy height (15, 30, 45 and 60 cm) in a randomized block design with four replications (16 paddocks of 750m² each). Evaluations will be carried out from January to June 2020. 150 pasture height per experimental unit will be measured before and after grazing. For determination of forage mass before and after grazing 3 stratified cuts will be made using a table of 1 m² per UE. In these samples the botanical and morphological separation will be performed in each stratum of the pasture. To evaluate the intake rate will be used Santa Ines sheep with approximately 5 months of age and average initial weight of 25 kg. The animals will be adapted to the experimental procedure and will remain in the multispecies pasture area at least 40 days before each measurement. Prior to each grazing test, the animals will be equipped with feces and urine collectors, an automatic jaw movement recorder (IGER Behavior Recorder). To determine the intake rate, the double weighing technique described by (Pennings & Hooper, 1985) will be used. The results will be used in the recommendation of management actions to increase the efficiency of integrated systems and consequent sustainability of these systems. (AU)