Journal
REVISTA BRASILEIRA DE ZOOTECNIA-BRAZILIAN JOURNAL OF ANIMAL SCIENCE
Volume 41, Issue 4, Pages 905-913Publisher
REVISTA BRASILEIRA ZOOTECNIA BRAZILIAN JOURNAL ANIMAL SCI
DOI: 10.1590/S1516-35982012000400011
Keywords
grazing management; light interception; Panicum maximum; post-grazing height
Funding
- FAPESC (Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa e Inovacao do Estado de Santa Catarina)
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The objective of this study was to assess the accumulation and morphological composition of forage in Aruana Guineagrass (Panicum maximum cv. Aruana) swards subjected to intermittent stocking with sheep. Experimental treatments when grazing was introduced included low (95%) and high (98%) incident light interception and low (10 cm)- and high (15 cm)-residue height and were allocated to experimental units (196 m(2) fenced areas) in a completely randomized 2 x 2 factorial arrangement with three replicates. Treatments were imposed between January and May 2009. More frequent grazing cycles (95% light interception) resulted in better control of stem elongation, lower proportion of dead plant material and invasive plants, and higher proportions of leaf blades in the grazing strata, compared with less frequent grazing cycles (98% light interception). Grass managed with 95% light interception combined with 10 and 15 cm post-grazing height and grass managed at 98% light interception combined with 15 cm post-grazing height did not show differences in forage accumulation rate. These results indicate that more frequent (30 cm pre-grazing height) and less severe (15 cm post-grazing height) grazing cycles provided animals with high leaf blade mass and low stem mass forage.
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