Pasture Height of A Tropical Erect Grass Affecting Young Lamb Herbage Intake And Performance

Tropical erect grass pastures have high forage production potential in subtropical and tropical regions of the world. However, in this kind of pasture, the body weight gain of weaned lambs is usually below of their potential. We determined the effect of pasture height of an erect tropical grass, consequently its structure, on intake and performance of young lambs. The experiment was repeated in two years. Thirty young weaned lambs (4-5 months) were assigned, each year, to three Panicum maximum pasture heights: 1) Tall-75 cm; 2) Medium-50 cm and 3) Short-25 cm. Herbage mass, pasture height, plant morphological composition, pasture nutritional quality, lamb’s average daily gain, gain per hectare and herbage intake were measured. The experiment was installed in a completely randomized design, evaluated in two periods each year. The Short treatment presented, on average and for longer, the highest leaf:stem ratio (1.3 ± 0.23) and average daily gain (91 ± 10 g/day) in relation to the Medium and Tall treatments (68 ± 10 and 40 ± 13 g, respectively). There was a significant interaction between treatment*period for herbage intake. The Tall treatment showed a marked decrease in intake from the first to the second period. The pasture height management interferes in the speed at which the number of stems increases of a tropical erect grass, in relation to leaves. For a better performance of weaned young lambs during summer-autumn period, it is important to manage tropical erect grass pastures at lower height than is generally recommended, lower than 25 cm.

Grass–Legume Mixtures Show Potential to Increase Above- and Belowground Biomass Production for Andean Forage-Based Fallows

Soils of the Andean highlands are under threat from cropping system intensification. Improved forage-based fallows offer great promise to address this issue, but research is needed to better understand the potential of species mixtures vs. monocultures to support multiple farmer objectives, especially forage production and soil conservation. We used a pot study to quantify above- and belowground biomass production as well as the total N uptake of grass–legume pairs between five grasses: (1) oat (Avena sativa), (2) ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum), (3) festulolium (Lolium × Festuca genera), (4) brome grass (Bromus catharticus), and (5) orchard grass (Dactylis glomerata), and four legumes: (1) vetch (Vicia dasycarpa), (2) red clover (Trifolium pratense), (3) black medic (Medicago lupulina), and (4) alfalfa (Medicago sativa) relative to the performance of each species in monoculture within two soils from the central Peruvian Andes. Grass–legume bicultures demonstrated significant overyielding, producing 65% and 28% more total dry biomass and total N uptake on average than monocultures. Aboveground biomass of bicultures was significantly influenced by the species of legume present, while belowground biomass was more affected by the grass species in the mixture. When evaluating the growth of each species separately, our findings indicate that overyielding was driven more by the enhanced growth of grasses relative to legumes. Our findings indicate that combining key functional groups (e.g., grass and legume, annual and perennial) offers great promise for developing improved fallows for supporting soil health and productivity in Andean agroecosystems.

Dissimilarity between Andropogon lateralis ecotypes under different defoliation frequencies and heights

ABSTRACT: Andropogon lateralis Nees is a native grass of southern Brazil and is one of the most frequent specie found in native grasslands. The species is widely distributed and has a high degree of phenotypic plasticity, which makes it highly adaptable to different edaphoclimatic conditions and management. This study aimed to evaluate the behavior of twelve ecotypes of A. lateralis, collected in different regions of the state of Rio Grande do Sul and cut to three different heights and subjected to two different defoliation frequencies. From September to February, the ecotypes were evaluated for total dry matter, leaf and stem yields. In addition, total, vegetative and reproductive tillers and plant height were measured. These characteristics are important for the selection of superior genotypes in terms of genetic variability and forage production. Total dry matter and leaf dry matter are characteristics with agronomic importance and they showed the highest correlation (r = 0.77), enabling an indirect selection for one of these characteristics. The natural selection of plants resulted in distinct structural, morphological and productive characteristics with heterogeneity that allows the selection and grouping according to the characteristics, ecotypes with superior agronomic characteristics can be included in breeding programs.

Maniçoba for sheep and goats - forage yield, conservation strategies, animal performance and quality of products

ABSTRACT: In dry regions worldwide, providing feed for ruminants has been a great challenge, with a need to use plants which contribute to the resilience of production systems. Maniçoba is seen as a potential forage resource in the Brazilian semiarid, being used as hay or silage to feed ruminants. This review summarized results regarding forage production of maniçoba, in addition to dry matter (DM) intake, productive performance, and quality of animal products obtained providing maniçoba based diets, when compared to diets composed by other roughages for goats and sheep. Considering the evaluated studies, the average yield of maniçoba varied from 367 to 1,592 kg DM ha-1, enhancing the forage yield by increasing plant fertilization and planting density. Diets based on maniçoba promoted similar or higher intake of DM and productive performance for goats and sheep, when compared to diets comprising other forage resources. The quality of animal products was also similar to the ones obtained with diets based on traditional roughages, such as Tifton 85 hay or spineless cactus. Therefore, maniçoba allows a forage production that may contribute to ruminant production systems in semiarid environment and promote productive performance and animal product quality compatible to the ones provided by traditional forage plants.

A NEW VARIETY AND PROMISING SAMPLES OF NURSERIES BREEDING GALEGA

Биоклиматический потенциал Псковской области позволяет ежегодно получать качественные семена практически всех видов многолетних злаковых и некоторых видов бобовых трав. Первостепенная роль в производстве кормов принадлежит сеянным травам как в полевом (площадь земель составляет 182,8 тыс. га), так и луговом кормопроизводстве (естественные сенокосы (230 тыс. га) и пастбищам (244 тыс. га). Основными направлениями в повышении продуктивности и улучшении качества кормовой базы, на наш взгляд, должны стать новые сорта многолетних трав, возделывание которых ведется с использованием современных агротехнологий. Селекционная работа по выведению новых сортов козлятника восточного ведется в 7 питомниках на полях ФГБНУ ФНЦ ЛК Обособленного подразделения г. Пскова. На каждом этапе селекционного процесса, в каждом питомнике выделены лучшие образцы по ряду хозяйственно ценных и морфологических признаков. На заключительной многолетней стадии, в питомнике конкурсного испытания высеяны сортообразцы, которые выделены из различных питомников с сохранением отличительных признаков, морфологических или хозяйственно-ценных. Селекционерами института создан новый сорт козлятника восточного Талисман (сортообразец №24), превышающий по продуктивности и качеству сорт-стандарт Кривич на 7-10%, в среднем за годы испытаний (5 лет) урожайность зеленой массы составила 38,1 т/га, сухой массы – 9,7 т/га, что выше стандарта на 11%. Семенная продуктивность в среднем за 5 лет была на уровне 4,5 ц/га. Содержание сырого протеина в сухом веществе данного сорта было на уровне от 20 до 22,0%. Выход сырого протеина с урожаем составил 1,9 т/га. The bioclimatic potential of the Pskov region makes it possible to annually obtain high-quality seeds of almost all types of perennial grasses and some types of legumes. The main role in feed production belongs to sown grasses both in the field (the land area is 182.8 thousand hectares) and in meadow forage production (natural hayfields (230 thousand hectares) and pastures (244 thousand hectares). In our opinion, the main directions for increasing productivity and improving the quality of the feed base should be new varieties of perennial grasses that are cultivated using modern agricultural technologies. Breeding work on breeding new varieties of Eastern goat is carried out in 7 nurseries in the fields of the Federal state budgetary scientific center of the LPR, a separate division, Pskov. At each stage of the breeding process, each nursery selects the best samples for a number of economically valuable and morphological characteristics. At the final multiyear stage, in the nursery of competitive tests, varietal samples were sown, which were isolated from various nurseries with the preservation of distinctive features, morphological or economically valuable. Breeders of the Institute have created a new variety of Eastern talisman goat (variety type No. 24), which exceeds the productivity and quality of the standard Krivich by 7-10% on average, over the years of testing (5 years), the yield of green mass was 38.1 t/ha, dry mass – 9.7 t/ha, which is 11% higher than the standard. Seed productivity on average for 5 years was at the level of 4.5 c/ha. The content of crude protein in the dry matter of this class was at the level of 20 to 22.0%. The yield of crude protein from this crop was 1.9 t/ha.

SEED PRODUCTIVITY OF ALFALFA IN NON-CHERNOZEM REGION

The results of selection studies conducted at the Central Experimental Base of the Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution Federal Williams Research Center of Forage Production and Agroecology in the Non-Chernozem Zone of the Russian Federation are presented. Brief data on promising samples and hybrids of alfalfa created in the department of alfalfa breeding for seed productivity are presented. For a long time, alfalfa breeding was mainly in the direction of obtaining new varieties with high yields of fodder mass and little attention was paid to seed yields, which led to the creation of good varieties for collecting green mass and medium or even poor seed productivity. Therefore, the creation of varieties with high feed and seed productivity is the primary task of alfalfa breeding. For this purpose, the main methods of selection are used — polycross, interspecific and intervariety hybridization and selection. In the obtained populations, a careful selection for early ripeness, pollen fertility, plant flowering friendliness is carried out, the power of hybrids, their foliage and other useful indicators are taken into account. By the nature of flowering and pollination, alfalfa refers to cross-pollinating plants. For agricultural production, it is necessary to have alfalfa varieties not only with high, but also stable seed productivity, which does not depend on the conditions of the growing environment and the presence of pollinators.

Jerusalem Artichoke as a Fodder Crop for Food Security Solutions

Being a valuable source of inulin, fructose and pectin, Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus L.) is one of the most promising bioenergy crops for common usage. Animals have been reported to eat both Jerusalem artichoke green mass and tubers with pleasure. On the one hand, Jerusalem artichoke is cultivated on the area of about 3 thousand hectares in Russia. On the other hand, there are more than 200 crop species. So it is critical to choose a proper variety suitable both for soil and climatic conditions. The purpose of the research is to study Jerusalem artichoke, taking into account varietal characteristics appropriate for forage production. Research objects – varieties of Jerusalem artichoke: early ripening Skorospelka (RF); mid-early Vylgortskiy (RF); mid-season Dieticheskiy (RF), Kaluzhskiy (RF), Korenevskiy (RF), Nadezhda (RF), Nakhodka (RF), Podmoskovniy (RF), Sireniki (RB), Blank Brekos (France), Violet de Rense (France); late ripening Interest (RF), Interest 21 (RF), Novosti VIRa (RF), Tadzhikskiy Krasniy (USSR), Spindle (Germany). The soil for evaluating Jerusalem artichoke varieties was from experimental plot base "Korenevo". It is characterized as sod-slightly podzolic sandy loam. The field trial was established and the records and observations were carried out in accordance with the requirements of the field experiment methodology (1985), and the Program and methodology for evaluating Jerusalem artichoke varieties in test nurseries (2014). The varieties Vylgortskiy, Dieticheskiy, Nadezhda, Nakhodka, Sireniki, Skorospelka, Blank Brekos and Kaluzhskiy were found to reach due height of 155 - 170 cm at the end of the growing season; the varieties Podmoskovniy, Interest reached proper height of 175 - 208 cm; the varieties Interest 21, Tadzhikskiy and Violet de Rense were about 220 - 235 cm in hight; as for the varieties Korenevskiy, Novost VIRa, Spindlу their hight was 270 - 280 cm. According to aggregate amount of feed units per 1 ha, the following varieties have been shown to be the most reasonable for fodder production: Novost VIRa (22,438 fodder units), Nadezhda (19,928 fodder units), Korenevskiy (17,798 fodder units), Shpindle (16,887 fodder units), Dieticheskiy (16,395 fodder units), and Interest (16,116 fodder units). The highest total coefficient of energy efficiency has been found in the following varieties: Novost VIRa – 3.09, Tadzhikskiy – 2.78; Spindle – 2.68; Korenevskiy – 2.43; Interest – 2.10; Skorospelka – 1.98. The results of experimental and theoretical studies obtained were verified on-the-farm conditions based on a seed-speciality farm LLC Kaluga-Agro (the Kaluga region) and demonstrated beneficial effect.

DEVELOPMENT OF LIVESTOCK BASED ON MODERN FEED PRODUCTION

The state of animal husbandry in the country, directions of intensification of the industry, factors that restrain the growth of economic efficiency of animal husbandry, the influence of feed production on the development of animal husbandry are analyzed. The directions of increasing the economic efficiency of forage production by increasing the proportion of proteins in the feed used, improving their structure by expanding the crops of perennial legumes and legume-cereal grass mixtures are proposed.

DEPENDENCE OF GERMINATION OF SEEDS OF FODDER CROPS ON THE DURATION OF STORAGE IN A GAS ENVIRONMENT

The research was carried out in the laboratory conditions of the Federal Williams Research Center of Forage Production and Agroecology on the seed material of nineteen varieties of the selection of VIC, stored since 1986 in a gas environment. The viability of the seeds was determined after 33 years of storage. The laboratory germination rate of the samples after storage varied from 0.7 to 90.3%. Aging of cereal grasses is faster. After storage in a gas environment for 33 years germination of more than 80% was observed in four samples of the legume family and one of the cereals. After being removed from the CSG and placed in normal conditions for a year, most of the samples retained their economic validity, with the exception of forage cereals: brome grass, meadow and reed fescue, and cocksfoot.