Effects of forage source and extruded linseed supplementation on methane emissions from growing dairy cattle of differing body weights

Changes in diet carbohydrate amount and type (i.e., starch vs. fiber) and dietary oil supplements can affect ruminant methane emissions. Our objectives were to measure methane emissions, whole-tract digestibility, and energy and nitrogen utilization from growing dairy cattle at 2 body weight (BW) ranges, fed diets containing either high maize silage (MS) or high grass silage (GS), without or with supplemental oil from extruded linseed (ELS). Four Holstein-Friesian heifers aged 13 mo (BW range from start to finish of 382 to 526 kg) were used in experiment 1, whereas 4 lighter heifers aged 12 mo (BW range from start to finish of 292 to 419 kg) were used in experiment 2. Diets were fed as total mixed rations with forage dry matter (DM) containing high MS or high GS and concentrates in proportions (forage:concentrate, DM basis) of either 75:25 (experiment 1) or 60:40 (experiment 2), respectively. Diets were supplemented without or with ELS (Lintec[AU1: Add manufacturer name and location.]; 260 g of oil/ kg of DM) at 6% of ration DM. Each experiment was a 4 × 4 Latin square design with 33-d periods, with measurements during d 29 to 33 while animals were housed in respiration chambers. Heifers fed MS at a heavier BW (experiment 1) emitted 20% less methane per unit of DM intake (yield) compared with GS (21.4 vs. 26.6, respectively). However, when repeated with heifers of a lower BW (experiment 2), methane yield did not differ between the 2 diets (26.6 g/kg of DM intake). Differences in heifer BW had no overall effect on methane emissions, except when expressed as grams per kilogram of digestible organic matter (OMD) intake (32.4 vs. 36.6, heavy vs. light heifers). Heavier heifers fed MS in experiment 1 had a greater DM intake (9.4 kg/d) and lower OMD (755 g/kg), but no difference in N utilization (31% of N intake) compared with heifers fed GS (7.9 kg/d and 799 g/kg, respectively). Tissue energy retention was nearly double for heifers fed MS compared with GS in experiment 1 (15 vs. 8% of energy intake, respectively). Heifers fed MS in experiment 2 had similar DM intake (7.2 kg/d) and retention of energy (5% of intake energy) and N (28% of N intake), compared with GS-fed heifers, but OMD was lower (741 vs. 765 g/kg, respectively). No effect of ELS was noted on any of the variables measured, irrespective of animal BW, and this was likely due to the relatively low amount of supplemental oil provided. Differences in heifer BW did not markedly influence dietary effects on methane emissions. Differences in methane yield were attributable to differences in dietary starch and fiber composition associated with forage type and source.

Nitrogen and carbohydrate fractions on Tifton-85 pastures overseeded with annual winter and summer forage species in different seasons

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Structural characteristics and forage mass of Tifton 85 pastures managed under three post-grazing residual leaf areas

The experiment was carried out on Cynodon spp cv. Tifton 85 pastures grazed by sheep under rotational stocking, with the objective of evaluating the structural characteristics as well as the forage mass of the pastures subjected to three grazing intensities in successive cycles. Treatments were composed of three residual leaf area indices (rLAI; 2.4; 1.6 and 0.8), allocated in completely randomized blocks with seven replications, totaling 21 experimental units. Tiller population density, pasture height, leaf area index, forage morphological composition and pasture forage mass were evaluated. The rLAI modified the tiller population density, which increased linearly with decrease in the rLAI of the pastures. Dry masses of leaf blade, stem and dead material were inferior when the rLAI imposed were lower, which resulted in differentiated forage production among the treatments. Tifton 85 pastures grazed by sheep in rotational stocking under tropical conditions with different rLAI show a modified sward structure over successive grazing cycles, mainly by alteration in the height and LAI of the plants at pre-grazing and by light interception post-grazing, which change the tiller population density. The residual leaf area index of 1.6 is the most suitable for pasture management for being equivalent to the heights of entrance and exit of animals on and from paddocks of 33 and 19 cm, respectively, which avoid great accumulation of dead material and excessive stem elongation, in addition to ensuring tillering in the sward.

Characteristics of forage and feeding behavior of Nellore heifers fed hydrolyzed sugarcane

The objective of this study was to evaluate the chemical characteristics of the forage and ingestive behavior of Nellore heifers fed hydrolyzed sugarcane in different periods of storage. Twenty-four heifers with initial body weight of 119.6±8.1 kg were utilized. The experimental design was completely randomized, in which the treatments were diets with fresh sugarcane and hydrolyzed sugarcane (5 g of lime kg-1 of chopped sugarcane) stored for 24, 48 or 72 hours as the only roughage. The addition of lime to sugarcane associated with its storage up to 72 hours provided an increase of 20% of the potentially degradable cell wall of carbohydrates, from 382.4 to 458.8 g kg-1 of total carbohydrates. The in vitro digestibility of dry matter was altered by the storage of hydrolyzed sugarcane, increasing 7.08% when the storage time was increased from 24 to 72 hours. Heifers fed fresh sugarcane remained more time consuming compared with heifers fed other diets. The time used for water intake was not influenced by the diet. The rumination time presented a quadratic variation in relation to storage time of the hydrolyzed sugarcane, with higher values for the of hydrolyzed sugarcane diets stored for 48 hours. Heifers fed hydrolyzed sugarcane spent more time on other activities than those fed fresh sugarcane. The supply of hydrolyzed sugarcane stored up to 72 hours in the proportion of 600 g kg-1 of dry matter in the diet, alters the intake patterns, reducing the feed intake in Nellore heifers.

Nitrogen and carbohydrate fractions in exclusive Tifton 85 and in pasture oversown with annual winter forage species

O experimento foi conduzido na FCAV - Campus de Jaboticabal, no período de inverno-primavera-verão de 2001-2002, com o objetivo de determinar o fracionamento de compostos nitrogenados e de carboidratos do Tifton 85 (Cynodon nlemfuensis Vanderyst x Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers), exclusivo ou sobressemeado com forrageiras anuais de inverno. Os tratamentos testados foram: aveia preta (Avena strigosa Schreb); aveia amarela (Avena byzantina C. Koch); triticale (X Triticosecale Wittmack); aveia preta + aveia amarela; aveia preta + triticale; aveia amarela + triticale; aveia preta + aveia amarela + triticale, sobressemeados sobre Tifton 85 e, sem consorciação (testemunha). O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o de blocos completos ao acaso, com três repetições. O corte das forrageiras foi realizado a 20 cm de altura (presença de forrageiras de inverno) e 10 cm de altura (ausência das forrageiras de inverno). Foram determinados os teores de proteína bruta, carboidratos totais, e o fracionamento dos compostos nitrogenados e de carboidratos. Houve redução nos teores dos compostos químicos das espécies de forrageiras de inverno e no Tifton 85 ao longo dos períodos de avaliações. Os conteúdos de compostos nitrogenados e de carboidratos apresentaram grande variação durante os períodos avaliados, relacionando com as características morfológicas das espécies de gramineas e com a composição botânica das pastagens.

Effects of row spacing and intercrop on maize grain yield and forage production of palisade grass

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Spatial variability of forage yield and soil physical attributes of a Brachiaria decumbens pasture in the Brazilian Cerrado

The objective of this study was to analyze variability, linear and spatial correlations of forage dry mass yield (FDM) and dry matter percentage (DM%) of Brachiaria decumbens with the bulk density (BD), gravimetric (GM) and volumetric (VM) moisture, mechanical resistance to penetration (RP) and organic matter content (OM), at depths 1 (0-0.10 m) and 2 (0.10-0.20 m), in a Red Latosol (Oxisol), in order to select an indicator of soil physical quality and identify possible causes of pasture degradation. The geostatistical grid was installed to collect soil and plant data, with 121 sampling points, over an area of 2.56 ha. The linear correlation between FDM × DM% and FDM × BD2 was low, but highly significant. Spatial correlations varied inversely and positively, respectively. Except for DM% and BD, at both depths, the other attributes showed average to high variability, indicating a heterogeneous environment. Thus, geostatistics emerges as an important tool in understanding the interactions in pasture ecosystems, in order to minimize possible causes of degradation and indicate better alternatives for soil-plant-animal management. The decrease in FDM and increased BD1 are indicators of physical degradation (compaction) of Red Latosol (Oxisol), particularly in the places with the highest concentration of animals and excessive trampling, in Cerrado conditions, in the municipality of Selvíria, Mato Grosso do Sul State, Brazil.

Morphological characterization and reproductive aspects in genetic variability studies of forage peanut

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Quality of the forage apparently consumed by beef calves in natural grassland under fertilization and oversown with cool season forage species

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Food intake and digestive efficiency in temperate wool and tropic semi-arid hair lambs fed different concentrate: forage ratio diets

This work was conducted to evaluate food intake and digestive efficiency of temperate wool and tropic semi-arid hair lambs, according to different concentrate: forage ratios in diet. Twenty-four lambs, averaging 90 +/- 1.8 days old and a mean body weight of 20 +/- 0.69 kg, 12 of them wool lambs, F, from Ideal x Ile de France crossing, and 12 others pure Santa Ines hair lambs, were distributed into a four replication 3 x 2 factorial arrangement consisting of three diets and two genotypes. Experimental diets consisted of: D1 = 60% concentrate mix (C) and 40% Cynodon sp. cv. Tifton-85 hay (F), D2 = 40% C and 60% F, and D3 = 20% C and 80% F. D1 was formulated for a daily gain of 300g per animal. Increasing forage levels in diets resulted in linear reductions (P < 0.01) in DM, OM, CP, TCH and metabolizable energy (ME) intake, and a linear increase (P < 0.01) in NDF ingestion. Tropic semi-arid hair lambs had higher DM, OM, NDF, CP, and TCH intake than temperate wool lambs. Although there were no genotype effects in OM and GE coefficient of digestibility, hair lambs showed more efficient (P < 0.05) digestibility of DM, CP, NDF and TCH. Increases in forage levels of diets corresponded to a negative linear effect (P < 0.01) in the apparent digestibility of DM, OM, CP, TCH and GE, while apparent digestibility of NDF increased linearly (P < 0.01). Total endogenous nitrogen (fecal plus urinary N) for F(1) Ideal x Ilede France wool and Santa Ines hair lambs were, respectively, 182 and 312 mg/kg(0.75) per day. Thus, Santa Ines tropic semi-arid hair lambs showed to be more responsive than F(1) Ideal x Ile de France temperate wool lambs to low quality fibrous diets. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

DECOMPOSITION RATES OF SPENT FUNGAL REFUSE OF ATTA-SEXDENS (HYMENOPTERA, FORMICIDAE) AND IMPLICATIONS FOR ESTIMATING FORAGE INTAKE BY LEAF-CUTTING ANTS

Using simulated ceramic refuse chambers, field decomposition studies were performed on the spent fungal refuse of the lead-cutting ant Atta sexdens rubropilosa. Refuse half life was estimated at 40 days, with complete decomposition at 100 days. These results suggest that the conversion-factor method used to estimate forage input into leaf-cutting ant colonies must be corrected for decomposition, or serious estimation errors will occur.

An Innovative Crop-Forage Intercrop System: Early Cycle Soybean Cultivars and Palisadegrass

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Doses and sources of nitrogen fertilizer and their effects on soil chemical properties and forage yield of Brachiaria brizantha cv. Xaraes

Forage plants, particularly the Brachiaria genus, are the main source of nutrients for cattle and are at times the only feed offered. The concentration of elements in the plant is related to the soil, fertilization, climate, season, variety, and cultural practices. An experiment on dystrophic Red-Yellow Latosol soil in Aracatuba, São Paulo was performed to evaluate the effects of the doses and sources of nitrogen fertilizers on the chemical properties of the soil and the dry matter yield of the grass Brachiaria brizantha cv. Xaraes. A randomized block design was employed involving three replicates in a 3 x 3 factorial, with three doses (100, 200 and 400 kg ha(-1) year(-1)) and three sources (Ajifer (R) L40, ammonium sulfate and urea) of nitrogen and a control treatment without nitrogen (zero). The greatest effects on the chemical properties of the soil as a function of nitrogen fertilization in the Xaraes grass were observed in the topsoil. The use of Ajifer (R) L40 and ammonium sulfate as sources of nitrogen had similar effects, with an increase in the sulfur content and a reduction in the soil pH at the superficial layer. The use of the fertilizers Ajifer (R) L40, ammonium sulfate and urea did not affect the micronutrient contents, except for Fe and Mn, and did not alter the sodium concentration or electrical conductivity of the soil. The dry matter yield of Xaraes grass was similar for all three nitrogen sources.