Prediction of Pasture Intake by Beef Cattle in Tropical Conditions

A meta-analytic study was conducted to develop and evaluate models for the prediction of pasture dry matter intake (DMIpasture) by beef cattle in tropical conditions. 804 individual observations of DMIpasture were used, taken from 23 studies through analysis of mixed models, including the study as a random effect. To evaluate the accuracy and precision of the new models proposed as well as for the models of Azevedo et al., (2016) and Minson and McDonald (1987), an independent databank with 87 means from treatments of 21 experiments (n = 888 animals) was used. Three prediction models were adjusted: Model I (Animal Information), Model II (Animal Information + Supplement) and Model III (Animal Information + Supplement + Pasture). The proposed models presented similarity for the average square root of the prediction error. The inclusion of the predictive variables for supplementation (supplement dry matter intake - DMIsupplement - % of the body weight and crude protein intake through supplement) with the variables for the animal (BW0,75 and average daily gain) and of the pasture (% of crude protein) in Model III improves accuracy and precision and provides higher determination and correlation coefficients, and agreement than the other proposed models. Similarly, it was found to be more accurate and precise than the equations of Azevedo et al., (2016) and Minson and McDonald (1987), which presented lower precision and accuracy than the proposed models. The DMIpasture for beef cattle in tropical conditions is more accurate and precise when the information for the animal, supplement and pasture is included.