| Author(s): |
Ruggieri, Ana Claudia
[1]
;
Cardoso, Abmael da Silva
[1]
;
Ongaratto, Fernando
[1]
;
Casagrande, Daniel Rume
[2]
;
Barbero, Rondineli Pavezzi
[3]
;
Brito, Liziane de Figueiredo
[1]
;
Azenha, Mariane Vieira
[4]
;
Oliveira, Andre Alves
[5]
;
Koscheck, Jefferson Fabiano Werner
[5]
;
Reis, Ricardo Andrade
[1]
Total Authors: 10
|
| Affiliation: | [1] Univ Estadual Paulista, Fac Ciencias Agr & Vet, Dept Zootecnia, Campus Jaboticabal, BR-14884900 Jaboticabal, SP - Brazil
[2] Univ Fed Lavras, Dept Zootecnia, Campus Lavras, BR-37200000 Lavras, MG - Brazil
[3] Univ Fed Rural Rio De Janeiro, Inst Zootecnia, Dept Prod Anim, Campos Seropedica, Rodovia BR 465, Km 07, BR-23890000 Seropedica, RJ - Brazil
[4] Premix, Jardim Bot, Rua Milton Jose Robusti 75, 17 Andar, BR-14021613 Ribeirao Preto, SP - Brazil
[5] Trouw Nutr, Av Jose Rocha Bonfim 214, BR-13080650 Campinas, SP - Brazil
Total Affiliations: 5
|
A 7 year experiment (2008-2014) evaluated cattle grazing intensity (sward height) effects on herbage mass, forage quality, and greenhouse gas emissions in continuously stocked pastures containing the tropical `Marandu' palisade grass (Brachiaria brizantha (Hochst. ex A. Rich) Stapf cv. Marandu). The experiment consisted of three sward height treatments (15, 25, and 35 cm) and six replicates. There were four periods each year during the rearing phase. Significant effects were found for herbage mass, proportions of leaf and stem, crude protein, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, lignin, animal performance, enteric methane (CH4), and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from soils. When the canopy height increased from 15 to 35 cm, the herbage mass rose from 5.23 to 9.86 kg t ha(-1), leaf percentage decreased, and stem percentage increased. Crude protein content averaged 14.2%, and neutral detergent fiber averaged 58%. Average daily gain averaged 0.67, 0.81, and 0.90 kg (-1) head(-1), while live weight gain ha(-1) was 649, 530, and 439 kg for the 15, 25, and 35 cm treatments, respectively. The weather variables explained the GHG emissions, interannual herbage mass, and structure variations. (AU) |