Forage nutritional value and its morphological components on Brachiaria decumbens stockpiled forage

Authors

  • Manoel Eduardo Rozalino Santos Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, MG
  • Dilermando Miranda da Fonseca Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Departamento de Zootecnia, Viçosa, MG
  • Valéria Pacheco Batista Euclides Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária, Centro Nacional de Pesquisa de Gado de Corte, Campo Grande, MS
  • José Ivo Ribeiro Júnior Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Departamento de Informática, Viçosa, MG
  • Eric Márcio Balbino Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, MG
  • Daniel Rume Casagrande Universidade Estadual Paulista, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Jaboticabal, SP

Keywords:

Brachiaria, chemical composition, deferring period, grazing period, morphological composition

Abstract

The research was carried out aiming to evaluate forage crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), undigestible NDF (INDF), potentially digestible NDF (PDNDF) and potentially digestible dry matter (PDDM) percentages on Brachiaria decumbens pastures. The treatments included 73; 103; 131 and 163-day deferring period, and 1; 29; 57 and 85-day grazing periods. Randomized block in a split-plot design with two repetitions and 0,05 probability level was used. The nutritional value of the morphological components of the stockpiled forage was determined in the beginning and at the end of grazing period. Pastures under higher difering and grazing periods showed higher NDF and INDF percentages and lower CP and PDDM. The longer grazing period reduced the PDNDF percentage of the stockpiled forage. The living leaf blade (LLB) present at the end of the grazing period revealed a better nutritional value than the LLB from the beginning of this period. On the other hand, the opposite happened for the living stem, the dead foliar blade and the dead stem. The nutritional value is influenced by the morphological components of the stockpiled forage. Excepting the LLB, the nutritional value of the morphological components of forage worsens from the beginning to the end of grazing. Longer difering and grazing periods resulted in forage with a worse nutritional value. Thus, stockpiled forages in a partial way is the suitable management strategy to improve the forage nutritional value.

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Published

2008-04-14

Issue

Section

FORAGE CROPS AND PASTURES

How to Cite

Forage nutritional value and its morphological components on Brachiaria decumbens stockpiled forage. (2008). Bulletin of Animal Husbandry, 65(4), 303-311. http://bia.iz.sp.gov.br/index.php/bia/article/view/1113

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