STRUCTURAL AND CHEMICAL TRAITS OF TANZANIA GRASS UNDER ISOLATED, SIMULTANEOUS AND ALTERNATED GRAZING BY SHEEP AND CATTLE

Authors

  • Viviane Rodrigues V. dos Santos Embrapa Pesca e Aquicultura
  • Helder Louvandini Cena/USP
  • Concepta McManus Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul
  • Daiana Brito Universidade de Brasília - UnB

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5216/cab.v12i4.9946

Keywords:

Animal Production

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of three types of rotational pasture: isolated (I – grazing only by sheep), simultaneous (S – simultaneous grazing by cattle and sheep) and alternated (A – granzing by cattle and then by sheep) on the structural and chemical traits of grass. Twelve crossbreed heifers, weighing initially 207 kg, 30 Santa Inês lambs, weighing 23 kg, and 16 adult ewes weighing 47 kg were used. The following parameters were determined on the pasture: forage mass available per grazing cycle (FMC); proportion of leaf (PF); stalk (PS); dead material (PDM), leaf:stalk ratio (L/S); levels of dry matter (DM); mineral matter (MM); crude protein (PB); ether extract (EE); neutral detergent fiber (NDF); acid detergent fiber (ADF); inorganic phosphorus (Pi) and total digestible nutrients (TDN). The S and I systems presented the smallest values for PS and NDF, while their values for L/S, CP, EE and TDN were higher than in A system. Therefore, the results showed that the grass offered to sheep in S and I systems had better quality than in the A system. There was not effect of systems and cycles of pasture on the others parameters evaluated. Tanzania grass available to sheep showed best structural and chemical traits in S and I systems while it presented worse quality in A system. The S system may be an alternative to traditional sheep rearing systems in the Brazilian savannah region.

KEYWORDS: grass; pasture; ruminant.

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Published

2011-12-21

How to Cite

SANTOS, V. R. V. dos; LOUVANDINI, H.; MCMANUS, C.; BRITO, D. STRUCTURAL AND CHEMICAL TRAITS OF TANZANIA GRASS UNDER ISOLATED, SIMULTANEOUS AND ALTERNATED GRAZING BY SHEEP AND CATTLE. Brazilian Animal Science/ Ciência Animal Brasileira, Goiânia, v. 12, n. 4, p. 670–680, 2011. DOI: 10.5216/cab.v12i4.9946. Disponível em: https://revistas.ufg.br/vet/article/view/9946. Acesso em: 21 may. 2024.

Issue

Section

Animal Production