Forage accumulation and nutritive value, canopy structure and grazing losses on Mulato II brachiariagrass under continuous and rotational stocking

• Autor(a) principal: Pedroso, Gabriel Baracat
• Data de Publicação: 2018
• Tipo de documento: Dissertação
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Biblioteca Digital de Teses e Dissertações da USP
• Texto Completo: http://www.teses.usp.br/teses/disponiveis/11/11139/tde-10102018-135506/
• topic: Brachiaria híbrida; Brachiaria hybrid; Urochloa spp.; Urochloa spp.; Altura de dossel; Canopy height; Convert HD 364; Convert HD 364; Grazing intensity; Grazing management; Grazing severity; Intensidade de desfolhação; Manejo do pastejo; Método de lotação; Severidad de desfolhação; Stocking method

Regardless of studies demonstrating that continuous and rotational stocking can promote equivalent animal productivities, rotational stocking is still commonly associated with the idea of intensification of production systems. Moreover, studies evaluating agronomic responses of plants to stocking methods are scarce. The objectives of the present study were to explain the effects of three stocking methods (continuous stocking - CS, lenient rotational stocking - LRS, and severe rotational stocking - SRS), combined by factorial combinations with two mean canopy heights (20 and 30 cm), on forage accumulation (FA) and nutritive value, canopy structure, and grazing losses (GL) of Mulato II brachiariagrass during the 2016/2017 summer rainy season in Piracicaba, Brazil. The experimental design was a randomized complete block with three replications. Stocking methods were imposed by height variations around the two mean canopy heights: 10% (mimicked continuous stocking), 25% (lenient rotational stocking), and 40% (severe rotational stocking), applied using a mob stocking protocol. Forage neutral detergent fiber concentration (NDF), stem proportion in the forage mass (FM) and leaf area index (LAI) under continuous stocking and at pre-grazing under rotational stocking were affected by the mean canopy height × stocking method interaction. Forage in vitro digestible organic matter (IVDOM) and crude protein (CP) concentrations under continuous stocking and at pre-grazing under rotational stocking were affected by mean canopy height and stocking method. Leaf and dead material proportions in the FM under continuous stocking and at pre-grazing under rotational stocking were only affected by stocking method. Forage accumulation (8363 ± 1578 kg DM ha-1) and GL (5305 ± 585 kg DM ha-1) did not differ between treatments. For the 20-cm mean canopy height, CS, despite presenting the least LAI (3.3) and the greatest stem proportion in the FM (30%), promoted the least forage NDF concentration (531 g kg-1 DM). For the 30-cm mean canopy height, CS promoted the least forage NDF concentration (535 g kg-1 DM), SRS presented the greatest LAI (8.9), and LRS presented the least stem proportion in the FM (31%). Continuous stocking, despite presenting the least leaf proportion (32 %) and the greatest dead material proportion (35 %) in the FM, promoted the greatest forage IVDOM (609 g kg-1 DM) and CP (150 g kg-1 DM) concentrations. Severe rotational stocking, despite presenting the least dead material proportion (24 %) and the greatest leaf proportion (46%) in the FM, promoted the least forage IVDOM concentration (549 g kg-1 DM). Lenient rotational stocking, presented intermediate leaf (42 %) and dead material (29 %) proportions in the FM, and did not differ from the other stocking methods on forage IVDOM concentration (574 g kg-1 DM). In general, as mean canopy height decreased, LAI (from 6.6 to 4.8), dead material proportion in the FM (from 33 to 28 %) and forage NDF concentration (from 570 to 545 g kg-1 DM) declined, while forage IVDOM (from 554 to 600 g kg-1 DM) and CP (from 128 to 146 g kg-1 DM) concentrations increased.