Forage management intensification and supplementation strategy: Intake and metabolic parameters on beef cattle production

Author(s)

Delevatti, Lutti Maneck ^[1] ; Romanzini, Elieder Prates ^[1] ; Werner Koscheck, Jefferson Fabiano ^[2] ; da Ross de Araujo, Tiago Luis ^[1] ; Renesto, Diego Monteira ^[1] ; Ferrari, Adriana Cristina ^[1] ; Barbero, Rondineli Pavezzi ^[3] ; Mulliniks, John Travis ^[4] ; Reis, Ricardo Andrade ^[1]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Estadual Paulista Unesp, Fac Ciencias Agr & Vet, Dept Zootecnia, Campus Jaboticabal, BR-14884900 Jaboticabal, SP - Brazil

^[2] Trouw Nutr Brasil, BR-78098370 Cuiaba, MT - Brazil

^[3] Univ Fed Rural Rio de Janeiro UFRRJ, Inst Zootecnia, Dept Prod Anim, BR-23897000 Seropedica, RJ - Brazil

^[4] Univ Nebraska, West Cent Res & Extens Ctr, North Platte, NE 69101 - USA

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: ANIMAL FEED SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY; v. 247, p. 74-82, JAN 2019.
• Web of Science Citations: 0

Abstract

Improving animal performance on pasture requires grazing management that optimizes forage intake in combination with the appropriate supplementation strategy. The objective was to determine the effects of sward canopy height and level of supplementation on forage intake, digestibility, and ruminal fermentation kinetics of Nellore steers in a double Latin square design with repeated measures. Treatments were three sward heights with differing levels of supplementation and included: (1) short height with high supplementation (SH-HS, 15 cm and 0.6% SW); (2) short height with moderate supplementation (SH-MS, 15 cm and 0.3% BW); (3) moderate height with moderate supplementation (MH-MS, 25 cm and 0.3% BW); (4) moderate height with low supplementation (MH-LS, 25 cm and 0.1% BW); (5) tall height with low supplementation (TH-LS, 35 cm and 0.1% BW); and (6) tall height with no supplementation (TH-WS, 35 cm). Intake of crude protein and total digestible nutrients was greater (P < 0.05) with tall swards and moderate supplementation rates. Nutrient digestibility among treatments did not differ (P >= 0.21), possibly due to the availability of high-quality forage during the wet season. Likewise, rate of neutral detergent fiber degradability did not differ (P >= 0.19) among treatments. Ruminal ammonia nitrogen differed (P = 0.02) among treatments with moderate supplementation having the greatest (SH-MS) and lowest (MH-MS) concentrations (13.6 and 9.7 mg/dL, respectively). Ruminal pH and volatile fatty acid concentrations did not differ (P > 0.18) among treatments. Microbial N flow to the small intestine and efficiency of microbial synthesis exhibited a quadratic response with moderate sward height treatments having greater values. With these treatments and under the conditions of this study, various combinations of sward height and supplementation level did not alter rumen fermentation kinetics. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 13/25202-5 - Effect of diet and forage species on the metabolic profile of ruminants
• Grantee: Rondineli Pavezzi Barbero
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• FAPESP's process: 12/20264-0 - Productive, environmental and economic impacts of strategies supplementation in beef cattle diet under grazing heights and finishing strategies
• Grantee: Ricardo Andrade Reis
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 13/05894-0 - Intensification of pasture management and supplementation on productive parameters, environmental and economic issues in growing and finishing beef cattle
• Grantee: Jefferson Fabiano Werner Koscheck
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• FAPESP's process: 14/21138-3 - Supplementation of Nellore growing cattle grazing in different intensities on rumen metabolic and nutritional parameters
• Grantee: Lutti Maneck Delevatti
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• FAPESP's process: 12/14956-6 - Impacts productive, environmental and economic of the supplementation strategies of the diet of beef cattle under grazing heights and termination strategies
• Grantee: Rondineli Pavezzi Barbero
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• FAPESP's process: 13/09394-1 - Diets nutritional efficiency of the beef cattle grazing on different heights associated with supplementation
• Grantee: Tiago Luís da Ros de Araújo
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master