The use of stable natural isotopes of carbon to evalute the forage selected by grazing animals in tropical grass-legume pasture under different stocking rates

Authors

  • Antonio João Lourenço Instituto de Zootecnia, Divisão de Nutrição Animal e Pastagens, Seção de Avaliação de Forragens, Nova Odessa, SP
  • Eiichi Matsui Universidade de São Paulo, Centro de Energia Nuclear da Agricultura, Divisão de Ciências Ambientais, Piracicaba, SP
  • João Delistoianov Instituto de Zootecnia, Estação Experimental de Zootecnia de Colina, SP

Abstract

The trial was carried out at Estação Experimental de Colina, of the Instituto de Zootecnia, in Colina, State of São Paulo. It was evaluated the forage selected by grazing animals in pasture of green panic grass mixed with tropical legumes under different set stocking rates using the δ 13C values of faeces. The pastures were: A - green panic grass mixed with centrosema; 8 - green panic mixed with galactia; C - green panic grass with nitrogen fertilization (50 kg N/ha/year). The stocking rates used in a continuous grazing system during €œsummer€ and €œwinter€ were respectively: L1 €” 2.0 and 1.3 heads/ha; L2 - 2.4 and 1.6; L3 - 3.0 and 2.0 and L4 - 3.6 and 2.4. The animals used were crossbred castrated steers. It was used, par paddock, 3 animals in the €œsummer€ and 2 animals in the €œwinter.€ The available forage was measured in the paddocks using an iron square. The cutting height was 5 cm. The sampling of the available forage and faces was affected in February, May and September. The main conclusions are: 1 - the technique for estimating the proportion of C-3 species tropical legumes) and C-4 species (tropical grasses selected by grazing animals is quite exact and does not change the grazing habit of the animals; 2 - the animals selected available forage centrosema participated in the diet with 17.2% and galactia with 9,4%; 3 - increasing stocking rates decreased the proportion of legumes in me diet centrosema: L1 - 22.0%, L2 - 17.9, L3 €” 15.4 and L4 €” 15,4; galactia: L1 - 13.0%, L2 - 9.8, L3 €” 9.8 and L4 - 7.3 4 - the available forage decreased with increasing stocking rates.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Published

2014-01-29

Issue

Section

FORAGE CROPS AND PASTURES

How to Cite

The use of stable natural isotopes of carbon to evalute the forage selected by grazing animals in tropical grass-legume pasture under different stocking rates. (2014). Bulletin of Animal Husbandry, 38(2), 145-153. http://35.198.24.243/index.php/bia/article/view/212

Most read articles by the same author(s)

<< < 1 2