scholarly journals Influence of tropical pastures on grazing behavior parameters of young lambs

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jalise Fabíola Tontini ◽  
Cesar Henrique Espírito Candal Poli ◽  
Viviane da Silva Hampel ◽  
Mariana de Souza Farias ◽  
Neuza Maria Fajardo ◽  
...  

AbstractTropical sward characteristics can alter lamb ingestive behavior. Our study evaluated the ingestive behavior of young lambs in different tropical pastures to identify which variables interfere in their grazing activity. Two years of study were carried out with 54 weaned lambs distributed in three different swards: 1) monoculture of a upright grass, guinea grass (Panicum maximum; GG); 2) monoculture of a shrubby legume pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan; PP) and 3) contiguous areas with half the paddock with GG and half with PP (GP). The experiment was set out in a randomized complete block design. Lamb ingestive behavior was observed from sunrise to sunset with records every 5 minutes. To identify the main variables that affected with the lamb grazing activity, a multivariate analysis of the Decision Tree was performed. Our results showed that there was no difference in the ingestive behavior parameters of young lambs in different swards (P > 0.05). There was interaction among the swards and the experimental periods for the variables idleness time and biting rate (P ≤ 0.05). Grazing time of the animals increased 40% with experimental period progression. The Decision Tree identified leaf:stem ratio as the variable that most influenced lamb grazing time in GG and GP swards while in the PP sward grazing time was directly related to the pasture height. The behavior of young lambs on tropical pasture is variable as there is a change in the behavioral response over time. In addition, the grazing time of these animals can be estimated by means of variables related to pasture structural characteristics (leaf:stem ratio and height) together with chemical variables.

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. e0242642
Author(s):  
Jalise Fabíola Tontini ◽  
Cesar Henrique Espírito Candal Poli ◽  
Viviane da Silva Hampel ◽  
Mariana de Souza Farias ◽  
Neuza Maria Fajardo ◽  
...  

Tropical pasture canopy characteristics can alter lamb ingestive behavior. Our study evaluated the ingestive behavior of young lambs in different tropical pastures to identify which variables interfere in their grazing activity. Two years of study were carried out with 54 weaned lambs distributed in three different pasture canopies: 1) monoculture of an upright grass, guinea grass (Panicum maximum; GG); 2) monoculture of a shrubby legume pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan; PP) and 3) contiguous paddock with half GG and half PP (GP). The experiment was set out in a randomized complete block design (3 blocks). Lamb ingestive behavior was observed from sunrise to sunset with records every 5 minutes. To identify the main variables that affected lamb grazing activity, a multivariate analysis of the Decision Tree was performed. Our results showed that there was no difference in the ingestive behavior parameters of young lambs in different canopies (P > 0.05). There was interaction among the canopies and the experimental periods for the variables idleness time and biting rate (P ≤ 0.05). Lambs in all canopies showed more idleness time in the first evaluation period. Lambs in canopies containing grass (GG and GP) exhibited greater bites per minute throughout the experimental period. Lamb grazing time increased 40% as experimental period progressed and plants matured. The Decision Tree identified leaf:stem ratio as the variable that most influenced lamb grazing time in GG and GP canopies while in the PP, grazing time was directly related to canopy height. The behavior of young lambs on tropical pasture is variable as there is a change in the behavioral response to canopy characteristics over time. In addition, the grazing time of these animals can be estimated by means of variables related to canopy structural characteristics (leaf:stem ratio and height) together with chemical variables.


2019 ◽  
Vol 97 (Supplement_3) ◽  
pp. 228-229
Author(s):  
María Victoria Burjel ◽  
Alvaro Simeone ◽  
Oscar Bentancur ◽  
Natalia Zabalveytia ◽  
Virginia Beretta

Abstract This study aimed to evaluate the effect of winter-feeding system (grazing, GFS vs. feedlot, FFS) and ration roughage level (RL), on subsequent spring grazing behavior and forage dry matter intake (DMI). Thirty-two Hereford female calves (149 ± 13 kg) were assigned to four winter dietary treatments (110 days) in a randomized block design (n = 2/treatment): three feedlot rations differing RL (Setaria italica) (0%, 35% or 70% DM) or oats grazing (5 kg DM/100 kg LW). In spring (84 days) all treatments grazed a mixed grass-legume pastures (4317 ± 1009 kg DM/ha; 6 kg DM/100 kg LW). During weeks 1, 3 and 5 after changing diets, diurnal behavior activity (effective/search grazing, rumination, idling or water intake) was visually recorded and DMI estimated from the in vivo DM digestibility (DMD) and fecal production. Data were analyzed according to a block design with repeated measures, with general model including block, treatment (T), week (W) and T×W effects. Means were compared through orthogonal contrasts (Table 1). Spring DMI varied with T (P = 0.0084) regardless of W effect (P = 0.1619), with higher values for GFS compared to FFS (1.55 vs. 1.16 kg/100 kg LW, P = 0.0034) and for 70RL compared to 35RL (P = 0.0286). DMD did not differ between treatments (P = 0.2488) but was lower on W1 than W5 (55 vs. 64 %, P = 0.0150). T×W was significant (P < 0.0001) for effective grazing, rumination and idling. On W1, heifers from GFS grazed less (0.40 vs. 0.49, P = 0.0268) but tended to ruminate more (0.26 vs. 0.18, P = 0.0591) than FFS. As pasture DMD improved (W5) GFS grazed more (0.64 vs. 0.51, P = 0.0020) but ruminated less (0.14 vs. 0.21, P = 0.0450) than FFS. Transition from FFS to spring grazing might reduce pasture DMI modifying animal ingestive behavior compare to animals from GFS. Impact could be higher when ration RL is below 70%.


2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (5) ◽  
pp. 3271
Author(s):  
Márcio Odilon Dias Rodrigues ◽  
Antonio Clementino dos Santos ◽  
Marcos Odilon Dias Rodrigues ◽  
Rubens Ribeiro da Silva ◽  
Otacilio Silveira Junior

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of nitrogen (N) fertilizer doses on morphogenic and structural characteristics of mombassa grass (Panicum maximum Jacq.) at three different periods of the lifespan of tillers. The experiment was conducted in Araguaína-TO, Brazil, from December 2014 to February 2015. It was installed in split plots in a randomized block design with four replications. The doses of N-fertilizer (0, 30, 60, 90 kg N.ha-1) were the plots and the periods evaluated (1PER – first period from day 16 to 30; 2PER from day 31 to 45 and 3PER from day 46 to 60 after germination) were the subplots. The evaluated variables consisted of leaf appearance rate (LAR), leaf elongation rate (LER), stem elongation rate (SER), leaf senescence rate (LSR), phyllochron, tiller number, leaf emergence, and total leaf number. A Pearson correlation analysis was used to morphogenic and structural characteristics along with a regression analysis for all the variables. Overall, increasing N-fertilizer doses positively influenced the leaf appearance and leaf elongation rates, tiller density, and the number of live leaves per tiller. The 90-kg N.ha-1 dose enabled the best morphogenic and structural responses of the forage when compared to the other rates. Each period featured differently, with higher values of LSR, SER, and LER in 3PER when compared to those in 2PER and in 1PER. Therefore, the nutritional supply over the first weeks of tiller lives was defining to an increase in forage production in the remaining periods. In light of this, we observed that as LAR raise in the first days after germination, nutritional supplies are required from day 15 on, mainly nitrogen, so plants could continue their development since initial plant growth determines pasture productive vigor and longevity.


2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 1225
Author(s):  
Aline Barros da Silva ◽  
Carlos Augusto Brandão de Carvalho ◽  
Danilo Antonio Morenz ◽  
Pedro Henrique Ferreira da Silva ◽  
Alex Junio dos Santos ◽  
...  

Under the hypothesis that modifying nitrogen sources and doses could increase nitrogen fertilization efficiency and productivity and improve forage quality, this study aimed to evaluate the morphological composition, structural characteristics and chemical composition of Panicum maximum cv. Massai forage cultivated under different urea sources (common and coated with Policote®) and nitrogen doses (200, 400 and 600 kg ha-1 year-1) during the autumn, winter and spring of 2014 and the summer and autumn of 2015. The experiment was carried out in Seropédica, RJ, under a randomized complete block design in a factorial arrangement (3x2) + 1 with four replications. High nitrogen rates promoted higher percentages of leaf blade dry mass and lower percentages of dead material dry mass in the forage mass and provided higher tiller population density and forage accumulation rate of Massai grass during the studied seasons. The use of coated urea promoted higher levels of crude protein in the forage than did the use of common urea in all seasons. The intensification of nitrogen fertilization reduced the nitrogen use efficiency but benefitted the structural characteristics, forage accumulation and chemical composition of Massai grass forage. The use of coated urea promoted greater of nitrogen use efficiency during all seasons of the year.


2011 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 527-534 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlindo Santos Rodrigues ◽  
Domicio do Nascimento Júnior ◽  
Sila Carneiro da Silva ◽  
Márcia Cristina Teixeira da Silveira ◽  
Braulio Maia de Lana Sousa ◽  
...  

An experiment was carried out with the objective to evaluate growth pattern of tropical forage grass under free growth by using morphogenetic and structural characteristics with the expectation of using this study for forage grass evaluation protocol. The experimental area was established with two cultivars of Panicum maximum Jacq. (Mombaca and Aruana), a hybrid cultivar of P. maximum Jacq. and P. Infestum BRA-7102 (Massai), two cultivars of Brachiaria brizantha (A. Rich.) Stapf (Marandu and Xaraes) and Molasses grass (Melinis minutiflora Beauv.) and jaragua grass (Hyparrhenia rufa (Nees) Stapf.). The grasses were planted in 1.0-m² experimental units with 24 plants arranged in a completely randomized block design with three replications. Growth pattern of the grasses was evaluated through mass development, tiller mortality, development stage and leaf longevity. Development patterns differed significantly among groups of grasses, indicating that the same available resources can be used in different manners by grasses from the same genus and/or species.


2009 ◽  
Vol 66 (1) ◽  
pp. 8-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sila Carneiro da Silva ◽  
Adriana Amaral de Oliveira Bueno ◽  
Roberta Aparecida Carnevalli ◽  
Marina Castro Uebele ◽  
Fernando Oliveira Bueno ◽  
...  

Grazing strategies promote changes in sward structure that can affect patterns of herbage accumulation and sward flexibility to management. This experiment evaluated sward structural characteristics and herbage accumulation of Mombaça guinea grass (Panicum maximum Jacq. cv. Mombaça) subjected to rotational stocking managements. Treatments involved grazing when swards reached either 95 or 100% interception of the incident light (LI), to post-grazing heights of 30 and 50 cm, and were allocated to 2,000 m² paddocks according to a randomised complete block design in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement with four replications, from January 2001 to February 2002. Sward canopy changed from a vertical to a more horizontal orientation as the light interception area index and height increased from post to pre-grazing. Leaf canopy height pre-grazing was stable throughout the year and around 90 and 115 cm for the 95% and 100% LI treatments respectively, indicating a potential for development and use of target-based grazing management practices. Herbage mass pre and post-grazing was lower for the 95% than the 100% LI treatments, but with higher proportion of leaf and lower proportions of stem and dead material. Treatment effects on herbage accumulation were cumulative and became more evident as the experiment progressed, with up to 6 t ha-1 DM advantage to the 95/30 treatment. Although based on a single year experiment, grazing management should aim for low herbage mass during the transition period from winter to spring in order to allow fast recovery of swards and favour herbage accumulation during the following growing season.


2011 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 167 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emiro Suárez P. ◽  
Sony Reza G. ◽  
Fredy García C. ◽  
Iván Pastrana V. ◽  
Eliecer Díaz A.

<p>El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar el efecto de la carga animal sobre la conducta de alimentación diurna y el rendimiento productivo de los novillos de engorde. La investigación se llevó a cabo durante 107 días, a partir de julio hasta octubre de 2010, en el Centro de Investigación Turipaná de Corpoica (Cereté, Colombia). Ganado Bovinos de ceba Cebú comercial con un peso promedio de 314 ± 29 kg que pastorearon en una pradera de Guinea cv. Mombasa (Panicum maximum). Se utilizaron dos diseños experimentales. El primero empleó un diseño de bloques completos al azar (DBCA) con submuestreo, con tres tratamientos (5, 6 y 7 animales/ha) y dos repeticiones para el análisis de la producción de la calidad del forraje y la ganancia diaria de peso vivo. El segundo fue un DBCA con tres tratamientos y tres repeticiones, correspondientes a nueve unidades experimentales, diseñados para el análisis de las variables de comportamiento ingestivo diurno. Se encontraron diferencias entre el rendimiento de materia seca y la ganancia diaria de peso vivo (P ≤ 0,05), con la carga de 5 animales/ha (5.070 ms/ha y 0,730 kg días-1, respectivamente). En cuanto a las variables de pastoreo diurno, la rumia total y la rumia parada se encontraron diferencias (P ≤ 0,05) entre las diferentes unidades. La tasa media de 7 animales/ha tuvo el mayor tiempo de pastoreo (7,53 horas), em comparación con los tratamientos de 5 y 7 animales/ha, que mostró 6,81 y 6,37 horas, respectivamente. La tasa de bocados no varió (P ≤ 0,05) entre las cargas. Las variables de comportamiento ingestivo evaluadas, al igual que la ganancia diaria de peso vivo y rendimiento de forraje, fueron influenciadas por la carga animal.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Diurnal ingestive behavior of beef cattle on Guinea grass (Panicum maximum cv. Mombasa)</strong></p><p>The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of stocking rate on the diurnal feeding behavior and productive performance of fattening steers. The research was carried out over 107 days, from July until October 2010, at the Turipaná research center of Corpoica (Cereté, Colombia). Beef cattle comercial zebu with an average weight of 314 ± 29 kg grazed in a pasture of Guinea cv. Mombasa (Panicum maximum) grass. We used two experimental designs. The first employed a randomized complete block design with subsampling, with three treatments (5, 6, y 7 animals/ha) and two replicates for the production analysis of forage quality and daily live weight gain. The second was a randomized complete block design with three treatments and three repeats, corresponding to nine experimental units, designed for the analysis of diurnal feeding behavior variables. Differences were found between the dry matter yield and daily live weight gain (P ≤ 0.05) with the load of 5 animals/ha (5,070 kg ms/ha and 0,730 kg/day-1, respectively). As for the diurnal grazing variables, total rumination, and standing ruminating, the study also resulted in disparities (P ≤ 0.05) between the different units. The stocking rate of 7 animals/ha had the highest grazing time (7.53 hours), compared to the treatments of 5 and 6 animals/ha, which showed 6.81 and 6.37 hours, respectively. The biting rate did not vary (P ≤ 0.05) between loads. Ingestive behavior variables assessed, as well as the daily live weight gain and yield were influenced by stocking rate.</p>


1978 ◽  
Vol 18 (90) ◽  
pp. 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
RT Cowan ◽  
TM Davison

Twenty-four Friesian cows grazing green panic (Panicum maximum var. trichoglume)-glycine (Glycine wightii cv. Tinaroo) pastures at 2 or 4 cows ha-1 were fed no supplement, 2.4 kg maize or 3.0 kg molasses cow-1 day-1. The experiment was a randomized block design and of six months duration. Milk yield and composition were similar for cows fed maize and molasses and these supplements increased average milk yield from 10.3 to 11.8 kg cow-1 day-1 (P < 0.05). Increased stocking rate reduced milk yield from 12.7 to 9.8 kg cow-1 (P < 0.01). Interactions of stocking rate with type of supplement were not significant (P > 0.05). The level of supplement intake and yield of pasture on offer accounted for 52 per cent of the variation in average milk yields (P < 0.01). Of the variation in milk yields between paddocks only 5 per cent was unaccounted for by this relationship.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 3849 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emmanuel Lievio de Lima Veras ◽  
Gelson dos Santos Difante ◽  
Antonio Leandro Chaves Gurgel ◽  
Ana Beatriz Graciano da Costa ◽  
Jéssica Gomes Rodrigues ◽  
...  

Panicum maximum grasses are among the most used in Brazil because they have high forage production potential, nutritional value and adaptation to different climate conditions and in poor soils, which have been improved by the application of dolomitic limestone and nitrogen fertilizers and K2O, P2O5. The aim was to evaluate the tillering capacity and structural characteristics of six cultivars of Panicum maximum in the Brazilian semiarid region. The test was configured as a randomized block design with six treatments—the cultivars Aruana, Massai, Mombaça, Tamani, Tanzânia, and Zuri—and four replications. The studied variables included tiller population dynamics, tiller population density (TPD), appearance rate (ApR), mortality (MorB), tiller survival (SuvP), tiller stability index, height, light interception (LI), forage mass (FM), and morphological constituents. As to the population dynamics of tillers, seven generations were evaluated, and the largest number of tillers was observed in the first generation, regardless of the cultivar. Furthermore, the Massai cultivar demonstrated the highest TPD in all generations. Interaction between the cultivar and evaluation period was noted for ApR: the cultivars Tamani and Tanzânia indicated higher ApR at 122 and 137 days after establishment. The cultivar (P = 0.380) and evaluation period (P = 0.4469) had no effect on SuvP; however, higher MorB was detected in the cultivars Aruana and Tamani compared to Mombaça and Zuri, with intermediate values detected in the other cultivars. The highest FM was observed in the cultivars Massai, Mombaça, and Tamani, as well as in the leaf blade of Massai and Mombaça. The cultivars Massai, Mombaça, Tamani, Tanzânia, and Zuri have the potential to be cultivated in areas with marked water deficit and high temperatures, such as the Brazilian semiarid region. The cultivar Massai has a rapid recovery after a period of water scarcity. The cultivar Aruana is not recommended for use in the Brazilian semiarid region under rainfed conditions.


2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (6Supl2) ◽  
pp. 3167 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alice Mariana Hupp Sacramento ◽  
Olga Cedro de Menezes ◽  
Tarcísio Marques Barros ◽  
Diego Novais Pinheiro ◽  
Soraya Maria Palma Luz Jaeger ◽  
...  

This study aimed at evaluating the morphogenic and structural characteristics of Panicum maximum Jacq. cv. Aruana, as well as its chemical composition after submitting it to different nitrogen levels. The experiment was performed by adopting a randomized block design which included four treatments (0, 75, 150 and 225 kg ha-1 of N) and three replications, in 100 m2 plots. Twice a week, for the 63 days of regrowth, the morphogenic characteristics were determined and estimated, after which the chemical composition was assessed. The aruana grass revealed a quadratic and positive response to the nitrogen fertilization, and showed a remarkable rise in the elongation rates, leaf appearance and senescence, besides the number of live leaves per tiller and final leaf length. However, the nitrogen fertilization reduced the phyllochron and leaf life in the aruana grass, implying the direct effect of nitrogen on the flow of tissues. A quadratic and positive effect of the nitrogen fertilization was observed for the dry mass production, from 5,840.80 kg ha-1 for plants lacking the nitrogen fertilization to 8,862.55 kg ha-1 for those fertilized with 225 kg ha-1 of N. Thus, while the nitrogen fertilization positively affected both tillering and morphogenesis, the N doses used in this study were insufficient to induce any change in the chemical composition of the aruana grass.


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