INTERDEPENDENCE BETWEEN DEFOLIATION PATTERNS AND MORPHOGENESIS OF SIGNALGRASS UNDER INFLUENCE OF FECES DEPOSITED BY CATTLE

Authors

  • Manoel Rozalino Santos
  • Dilermando Miranda da Fonseca Universidade Federal de Viçosa
  • Virgilio Mesquita Gomes Universidade Federal de Viçosa
  • Simone Pedro da Silva UNESP/Jaboticabal
  • Marina Reis Sant’Anna e Castro Universidade Federal de Viçosa
  • Victor Valério de Carvalho Universidade Federal de Viçosa

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5216/cab.v15i1.13040

Keywords:

Animal nutrition

Abstract

The knowledge of interdependence between defoliation patterns and morphogenesis of grasses allows the identification of the effects of feces deposition by cattle on the pasture. Thus, this work was developed to estimate regression equations for morphogenetic characteristics in function of grazing patterns of the same Brachiaria decumbens pasture under influence of feces deposited by cattle. The pasture was managed under continuous stocking with variable stocking rate to maintain the average height of 25 cm. The increases in defoliation frequency (DF) and grazing intensity (GI) reduced linearly the rates of senescence and leaf and stem elongation, but increased linearly the leaf appearance rate. The DF and GI also linearly reduced the number of dead leaves per tiller and the leaf and stem lengths. The forage loss resulted in adverse effects on the morphogenetic and structural characteristics of B. decumbens. The lowest grazing level near the feces increases forage loss on pasture, the size of leafs and stems, senescence and growth of B. decumbens tillers, and reduces leaf appearance.

KEYWORDS: Brachiaria decumbens; defoliation frequency; forage loss; grazing intensity; growth.

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Author Biographies

Manoel Rozalino Santos

Zootecnista

Mestrado em Zootecnia pela Universidade Federal de Viçosa na área de Forragicultura e Pastagens

Doutorando em Zootecnia pela Universidade Federal de Viçosa na área de Forragicultura e Pastagens

Dilermando Miranda da Fonseca, Universidade Federal de Viçosa

Doutor e professor da Universidade Federal de Viçosa na área de forragicultura e pastagens.

Virgilio Mesquita Gomes, Universidade Federal de Viçosa

Pós-graduando em zootecnia da Universidade Federal de Viçosa na área de forragicultura.

Simone Pedro da Silva, UNESP/Jaboticabal

Pós-graduanda em zootecnia da UNESP/Jaboticabal na área de nutrição de ruminantes.

Marina Reis Sant’Anna e Castro, Universidade Federal de Viçosa

Graduando em zootecnia da Universidade Federal de Viçosa na área de forragicultura.

Victor Valério de Carvalho, Universidade Federal de Viçosa

Graduando em zootecnia da Universidade Federal de Viçosa na área de forragicultura.

Published

2014-03-27

How to Cite

SANTOS, M. R.; FONSECA, D. M. da; GOMES, V. M.; SILVA, S. P. da; CASTRO, M. R. S. e; CARVALHO, V. V. de. INTERDEPENDENCE BETWEEN DEFOLIATION PATTERNS AND MORPHOGENESIS OF SIGNALGRASS UNDER INFLUENCE OF FECES DEPOSITED BY CATTLE. Brazilian Animal Science/ Ciência Animal Brasileira, Goiânia, v. 15, n. 1, p. 1–10, 2014. DOI: 10.5216/cab.v15i1.13040. Disponível em: https://revistas.ufg.br/vet/article/view/13040. Acesso em: 17 may. 2024.

Issue

Section

Animal Production