The positive response of cattle to sulphur and sodium supplementation while grazing Stylosanthes guianensis in north Queensland

Abstract

The experiment showed that on a euchrozem soil in north Queensland there is a dual deficiency of both sulphur and sodium for growing steers grazing Stylosanthes guianensis pastures in the dry season. The net gain of steers supplemented with both sulphur and sodium (26 kg) was significantly higher than that of steers supplemented with sulphur alone (6 kg), sodium alone (-16 kg) and unsupplemented steers (-9 kg). Steers supplemented with both elements did not decline in liveweight whereas all other steers experienced a lengthy period of liveweight loss.