Qualitative and productive aspects of Napier grass postures either fertilized with nitrogen or mixed with tropical legumes to estimate beef production

Authors

  • Edgard Leone Caielli Instituto de Zootecnia, Divisão de Nutrição Animal e Pastagens, Seção de Avaliação de Forragens, Nova Odessa, SP
  • Luis Martins Bonilha Neto Instituto de Zootecnia, Estação Experimental de Zootecnia de Sertãozinho, SP
  • Antonio João Lourenço Instituto de Zootecnia, Divisão de Nutrição Animal e Pastagens, Setor de Ecologia das Pastagens, Nova Odessa, SP

Keywords:

qualitative aspects, productive aspects, napier grass, pennisetum purpureum Schum, nitrogen fertilization, legumes, beef production

Abstract

In Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schum) experimental pastures fertilized with four levels of Nitrogen; 0,50, 100 and 150kg/ha and used for beef gain,measures of acessible green dry matter, stand height and hand-plucking samples were taken at 28 days intervals at the same time of animal€™s weighing days. O N pastures were mixed with tropical legumes (centrosema pubescens Benthe, Macroptilium atropurpureum D.C. cv. Siratro e Galactia striata Jacq.). Proximate analysis and in vivo dry matter digestibilities were performed to evaluate forage quality. Among several measures or calculated values, the conclusions were: 1- Acessible Green Dry Matter was significantly affected by Nitrogen level (P < 0.01); 2- Stocking rate expressed in kg of liveweight/ha was affected by Acessible Green Dry Matter (R2 = 0.626); 3- Percentage of Crude Protein in hand-plucking samples was not affected either by nitrogen level or by season of the year (the average was 14.5% ± 1.85); 4- Acessible Green Dry Matter/100 kg LW averaged 5.8 kg throughout the experimental periods; 5- Napier grass gave gains above 0.50 ka/day when the pastures height varied between 0.50 to 10m. Combining some of those parameters we could prepare a guide for managing Napier grass pastures for beef production.

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Published

2014-01-14

Issue

Section

FORAGE CROPS AND PASTURES

How to Cite

Qualitative and productive aspects of Napier grass postures either fertilized with nitrogen or mixed with tropical legumes to estimate beef production. (2014). Bulletin of Animal Husbandry, 48(1), 63-76. http://bia.iz.sp.gov.br/index.php/bia/article/view/882

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