Forage quality in a neotropical savanna based on different types of fertilization (original) (raw)

FORAGE PRODUCTION STABILITY OF ELEPHANT GRASS ( Pennisetum purpureum ) GENOTYPES IN CAMPOS DOS GOYTACAZES, RJ, BRAZIL

Agrociencia, 2016

espanolEl pasto elefante (Pennisetum purpureum) es una planta forrajera perenne tropical con produccion alta de biomasa que se adapta a diferentes condiciones edafoclimaticas en Brasil. La estabilidad se define como la consistencia en el rendimiento de los genotipos en ambientes diferentes. El objetivo del presente estudio fue estimar parametros de estabilidad por el metodo de Eberhart y Russell, y seleccionar genotipos de pasto elefante con la estabilidad de la produccion de forraje y de rendimiento alto en Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, Brasil. Cinco cosechas se realizaron en dos anos de evaluacion. El diseno experimental fue de bloques al azar, con 80 tratamientos y dos repeticiones. Despues del analisis individual de la varianza del rendimiento de materia seca, se aplico analisis de parcelas divididas. Los valores medios de cada cosecha y las medias de rendimento de los genotipos en cinco cosechas se agruparon con la prueba de Scott-Knott (p≤0.05). Para obtener las estimaciones de l...

Different Fertilization Systems in the Petrova Ecosystem, Maramureş County. Note 1: The Evolution of Forage Production

Bulletin of University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca. Animal Science and Biotechnologies, 2015

Set on a Festuca rubra-Agrostis capillaris (Agrostis tenuis) grassland, at a height of 628 m in the Maramureș Depression, the experiment was carried out by means of the randomized blocks method. We performed a bifactorial experiment with factor A as the amendment, and factor B the level of fertilization. As a result of fertilization throughout the study period using different doses in accordance with the experiment protocol, improvements were observed from one year to the next. The yield grew significantly on the fertilized variants compared to the witness lots, as seen in the dry matter content. The best results were obtained in the organic-mineral fertilized variants. Keeping in mind resource preservation, environment protection and biodiversity conservation, a good strategy regarding these ecological and economic concerns is the use of organic fertilizers on permanent grasslands. Concerning yield growth, the most effective method is the use of mineral and organic-mineral fertilization. The paper presents the evolution in time of the annual forage production, while data about the floristic composition will be presented in a future paper.

Forage performance and cattle production as a function of the seasonality of a Brazilian tropical region

Acta Scientiarum. Animal Sciences, 2021

This study aimed to evaluate forage yield, tiller population density, canopy height, nutritional value as well as cattle performance in alternate stocking from three tropical forage cultivars. The experiment followed a randomized block design, in a 3 x 3 factorial scheme with three replications. Three forage cultivars (Marandu, Massai and Xaraés) distributed in nine hectares were evaluated in three dry season periods (transition wet/dry, dry, and end of dry season), with repeated measures over time. The following variables were evaluated: canopy height, leaf: stem ratio, forage mass, leaf mass, stem mass and dead material mass. Total digestible nutrients, crude protein and in vitro dry mass digestibility were evaluated regarding forage nutrition. Animal performance, using 36 eleven-month-old animals (half-blood Nelore), was evaluated by the daily average gain and weight gain by area. During pre-grazing, canopy height presented interaction among forage cultivars and the evaluated per...

Evaluation of the relative feed value of indigenous savanna forage shrub species in Ghana

African Journal of Plant Science

Animal performance mainly depends on the quantity and quality of forage available as feed and animal feed represents one of the major costs in animal production. This research was conducted in the Faculty of Natural Resources and Environment Experimental Field at University for Development Studies, Nyankpala Campus to evaluate the relative feed value of four indigenous savanna forage shrubs. These shrubs were cultivated and their leaves harvested at 7, 10 and 13 weeks after establishment. Harvested leaves were pulverized to determine ash, crude fat, crude fiber, crude protein, neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and acid detergent fibre (ADF). Metabolisable energy, dry matter (DM), digestible dry matter (DDM), dry matter intake (DMI) and relative feed values (RFV) were also estimated. Ash, crude fat, crude fibre, CP, ADF and NDF contents ranged from 7.56 to 11.22%, 1.924 to 2.812%, 9.33 to 16.11%, 4.598 to 4.960%, 20.73 to 27.22% and 33.47 to 53.06%, respectively. The DDM, DMI and RFV ranged from 67.70 to 74.84%, 2.27 to 3.66% and 120.2 to 212.6%, respectively. The NDF, ADF contents of Tephrosia purpurea was significantly higher than those for Cajanus cajan (L), Stylosanthes mucronata and Securinega virosa (P < 0.05). The DDM and RFV of S. virosa and S. mucronata were significantly higher than those for C. cajan and T. purpurea. The DMI in S. virosa and S. mucronata was significantly higher than those for other shrubs. The carbohydrate contents of S. virosa were significantly higher than the other shrubs. In conclusion all the species studied offered considerable potential as high quality forage for ruminants during the acute periods of the year when the quantity and quality of forages are limited.

Soil Fertility of Tropical Intensively Managed Forage System for Grazing Cattle in Brazil

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Effect of Season and Nitrogen Fertilization on the Agronomic Traits and Efficiency of Piatã Grass in Brazilian Savanna

Agriculture

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the agronomic traits in the pre- and post-grazing and the nitrogen use efficiency of Piatã grass that was subjected to nitrogen fertilization throughout the seasons of the year. The experiment was performed in a randomized block design with four treatments (0, 150, 300, and 450 kg ha−1 N). Grazing was performed with sheep when the forage canopy reached 95% light interception up to 20 cm height of post-grazing. The pre-grazing forage mass of the Piatã grass showed a behavior (p < 0.05) linear to nitrogen fertilization, with higher and lower values in spring and winter, respectively. The post-grazing forage mass responded linearly (p < 0.05) to nitrogen fertilization, with an increase of 43.12% for the dose of 450 kg ha−1 N in relation to pastures without nitrogen fertilization. When the non-fertilized pasture was compared with the highest nitrogen dose, a reduction of 21.79% dead tissue was observed in the post-grazing forage mass. T...

Evaluation of forage quantity and quality in the semi-arid Borana Lowlands, Southern Oromia, Ethiopia

Tropical Grasslands-Forrajes Tropicales

This study was conducted with the aim of determining herbaceous biomass during different seasons, plus nutritive value of herbaceous species and forage on selected woody plants and documenting pastoralists’ perceptions of the value of various forage species in Borana Zone, Oromia, Ethiopia. Data were collected from a total of 92 main plots of 500 m2 during rainy and dry seasons located across different functional Land Use Units called Kalo (enclosed areas), Worra (grazed by lactating stock) and Foora (more remote and grazed by dry and non-lactating stock). Total herbage and leaves of woody plants were analyzed for concentrations of crude protein (CP), organic matter (OM), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), acid detergent lignin (ADL) and ash. Perceptions of farmers were determined through group discussions. Herbage biomass plus chemical composition of both herbaceous and woody forage species varied significantly across seasons and Land Use Units. Mean herbace...

Spectral indicators of forage quality in West Africa’s tropical savannas

International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation

Forage is among the essential ecosystem services provided by tropical savannas. Expected changes in climate and land use may cause a strong decline in herbaceous forage provision and thus make it advisable to monitor its dynamics. Spectroscopy offers promising tools for fast and non-destructive estimations of forage variables, yet suffers from unfavourable measurement conditions during the tropical growing period such as frequent cloud cover and high humidity. This study aims to test whether spatio-temporal information on the quality (metabolisable energy content, ME) and quantity (green biomass, BM) of West African forage resources can be correlated to in situ measured reflectance data. We could establish robust and independent models via partial least squares regression, when spectra were preprocessed using second derivative transformation (ME: max. adjusted R2 in validation (adjR2VAL) = 0.83, min. normalised root mean square error (nRMSE) = 7.3%; BM: max. adjR2VAL = 0.75, min. nR...

Improvement and Fertilization of The Savannas in Brazil

1981

The Brazilian savanna covers an area of about 180 million ha. The predominant soils a1:e .Oxisols commonly deep, well drained and well structured. They are highly acid, veiy low in nutrient status and susceptible to erosion. The rainfall distribution is an other problem for agricultural production in the region. Any soil management scheme to rninimize these problems should aim to: (a) improve the natural low soil nutrient status and neutralize part of the effects of soil acidity; (b) minimize the risks related to dry spells and (c) protect the soil against erosion. * This paper is part of a paper on Management of Tropical Soils and World Food Prospects which \\ill be presented at the 12th. ICSS-New Dellli, India.

Animal Production from Tropical Pastures Renovated by Subsoiling and Fertilization in the Cerrados of Brazil

A grazing trial was conducted, to study the effects of fertilization on the maintenance of the productivity of four tropical grasses. The paddocks were subsoiled, and dived into halves: one (LF1) received 400 kg/ha of a fertilizer formula 0-20-20.and the other (LF2) 800 kg/ha of the same fertilizers, in january 1995. Annually, 50 kg/ha of N was applied. The productivity on LF2 pastures was greater than that on FL1 pastures, averaging 520 and 410 kg of liveweight gain/ha/year. A double strategy should be followed to sustain animal production in the savanna: maintain soil P over a critical value of 3.0 mg P(Mehlich-1)/dm 3 , and annual N application .