Free Standard AU & NZ Shipping For All Book Orders Over $80!
Register      Login
Animal Production Science Animal Production Science Society
Food, fibre and pharmaceuticals from animals
Shopping Cart: ( empty )
You are here: Home > Journals > AN > AN23391 > Fulltext
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 64(12)

Sheep performance and forage quality in grass-legume pastures with different canopy heights

Ana Carolina Lopes Batista A , Cristina Maria Pacheco Barbosa A , Lucas Ferreira Penteado A , Ana Flavia Bastos Ongaro B , Ricardo Lopes Dias da Costa A , Flavia Fernanda Simili A , Enilson Geraldo Ribeiro A , Waldssimiler Teixeira de Mattos A , Luciana Gerdes A and Flavia Maria de Andrade Gimenes https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1743-1320 A *
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Instituto de Zootecnia, APTA/SAA/SP, Nova Odessa, SP 13380-011, Brazil.

B Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Diamantina, MG 39100-000, Brazil.

* Correspondence to: flaviagimenes@sp.gov.br

Handling Editor: Pablo Gregorini

Animal Production Science 64, AN23391 https://doi.org/10.1071/AN23391
Submitted: 5 December 2023  Accepted: 16 July 2024  Published: 2 August 2024

© 2024 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing

Abstract

Context

Canopy height is an important grazing management tool in grass and multispecies pastures.

Aim

To evaluate the effect of different canopy heights on the nutritional value of forage and animal productivity in pastures formed by Aruana guineagrass (Megathyrsus maximus cv. Aruana) combined legumes [Macrotyloma (Macrotyloma axillare), Calopo (Calopogonium mucunoides) and Stylo (Stylosanthes macrocephala + Stylosanthes caweedstata)] managed under continuous stocking with sheep.

Methods

The treatments consisted of four forage canopy heights (15, 30, 45 and 60 cm) in a randomised block design with four replicates, totalling 16 experimental units (paddocks). The following parameters were assessed: total herbage mass, proportion of botanical and morphological components in samples obtained by grazing simulation, nutritional value and digestibility of forage, animal performance, stocking rate, and animal productivity.

Key results

Herbage mass was higher in taller pastures (45–60 cm; P < 0.0001). The proportion of legumes in herbage mass increased throughout the experimental period (P < 0.0001), and the highest proportion of legumes in the grazing simulation was observed in autumn (P < 0.0001). Pastures measuring 15 cm had a higher crude protein content (P < 0.0001), but the average daily weight gain was higher (P = 0.0404) in pastures maintained at 30 and 45 cm (100.3 and 87.4 ± 11.44 g/animal day−1, respectively). Stocking rate (P < 0.0001) and animal productivity (P = 0.0267) were lower in 60-cm pastures.

Conclusion

Multispecies pastures of Aruana guineagrass combined with Macrotyloma, Calopo and Stylo forage legumes should be managed at 15–45 cm under continuous stocking.

Implications

This study provides an option for combining forage species in intercropped tropical pastures, and indicates a range of pasture heights that will ensure animal productivity and pasture sustainability.

Keywords: animal production, biodiversity, continuous stocking, grazing management strategies, in vitro dry matter digestibility, mixed pastures, multispecies pastures, sustainability.

References

Allen VG, Batello C, Berretta EJ, Hodgson J, Kothmann M, Li X, Mcivor J, Milne J, Morris C, Peeters A, Sanderson M (2011) An international terminology for grazing lands and grazing animals. Grass and Forage Science 66, 2-28.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Alviarez LAD, Grossi Costa Homem B, Hevilen do Couto P, Carlos Batista Dubeux Jr J, Fernandes Bernardes T, Rume Casagrande D, André Stefanelli Lara M (2020) Managing “Marandu” palisadegrass and calopo pastures based on light interception. Grass and Forage Science 75, 447-461.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

AOAC (1990) ‘Official methods of analysis.’ 15 edn. (AOAC: Arlington, TX)

Barthram GT (1985) Experimental techniques: the HFRO sward stick. HFRO Biennial Report 1984-85. pp. 29–30.

Boddey RM, Casagrande DR, Homem BGC, Alves BJR (2020) Forage legumes in grass pastures in tropical Brazil and likely impacts on greenhouse gas emissions: a review. Grass and Forage Science 75, 357-371.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Boval M, Sauvant D (2021) Ingestive behaviour of grazing ruminants: meta-analysis of the components linking bite mass to daily intake. Animal Feed Science and Technology 278, 115014.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Braga GJ, Ramos AKB, Carvalho MA, Fonseca CEL, Fernandes FD, Fernandes CD (2020) Liveweight gain of beef cattle in Brachiaria brizantha pastures and mixtures with Stylosanthes guianensis in the Brazilian savannah. Grass and Forage Science 75, 206-215.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Campos FP, Sarmento P, Mattos WT, Gerdes L, Carnevalli RA, Lima CG (2021) Management of Aries and Aruana Guinea grass cultivars under rotational stocking based on canopy light interception. The Journal of Agricultural Science 159, 385-403.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Carvalho PCF, Souza ED, Denardin LGO, Kunrath TR, Machado DR, Souza Filho W, Martins AP, Tiechen T (2021) Reconecting nature and agricultural production: mixed cropping systems as a way foward sustainable intensification. Boletim de Industria Animal 78, 1-16.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

CIIAGRO (2022) Rede meteorológica automática – Dados Automáticos. Available at http://www.ciiagro.org.br/ema/ [Verified 31 October 2022]

Da Silva SC, Gimenes FMA, Sarmento DOL, Sbrissia AF, Oliveira DE, Hernadez-Garay A, Pires AV (2013) Grazing behaviour, herbage intake and animal performance of beef cattle heifers on marandu palisade grass subjected to intensities of continuous stocking management. The Journal of Agricultural Science 151, 727-739.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Da Silva SC, Sbrissia AF, Pereira LET (2015) Ecophysiology of C4 forage grasses—understanding plant growth for optimizing their use and management. Agriculture 5, 598-625.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Euclides VPB, Macedo MCM, Oliveira MP (1992) Avaliação de diferentes métodos de amostragem (para se estimar o valor nutritivo de forragens) sob pastejo. Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Zootecnia 21, 691-702.
| Google Scholar |

Gerdes L, Barbosa CMP, Giacomini AA, Mattos WTD, Gimenes FMDA, Batista K, Uzan BZ (2020) Introduction of forage legumes into Aruana Guineagrass pasture. Boletim de Indústria Animal 77, 1-10.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Gimenes FMA, da Silva SC, Fialho CA, Gomes MB, Berndt A, Gerdes L, Colozza MT (2011) Ganho de peso e produtividade animal em capim-marandu sob pastejo rotativo e adubação nitrogenada. Pesquisa Agropecuária Brasileira 46(7), 751-759.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Goering HK, Van Soest PJ (1970) ‘Forage fiber analyses (Apparatus, reagents, procedures and some application).’ (Department of Agriculture: Washington, D. C)

Gomes FK, Oliveira MDBL, Homem BGC, Boddey RM, Bernardes TF, Gionbelli MP, Lara MAS, Casagrande DR (2018) Effects of grazing management in brachiaria grass-forage peanut pastures on canopy structure and forage intake. Journal of Animal Science 96, 3837-3849.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Gultekin Y, Filley SJ, Smallman MA, Hannaway DB, Ates S (2020) Pasture production, persistence of legumes and lamb growth in summer-dry hill pastures. Grass and Forage Science 76, 159-172.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Hodgson J (1990) ‘Pasture management. Science in practice.’ (Longman Group: UK Ltd.)

Homem BGC, de Lima IBG, Spasiani PP, Guimarães BC, Guimarães GD, Bernardes TF, de P. Rezende C, Boddey RM, Casagrande DR (2021) N-fertiliser application or legume integration enhances N cycling in tropical pastures. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems 121, 167-190.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Lima PMT, Moreira GD, Sakita GZ, Natel AS, Mattos WT, Gimenes FMA, Gerdes L, Mcmanus C, Abdalla AL, Louvandini H (2018) Nutritional evaluation of the legume Macrotyloma axillare using in vitro and in vivo bioassays in sheep. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition 102, e669-e676.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Mero RN, Udén P (1997) Promising tropical grasses and legumes as feed resources in central Tanzania. I. Effect of different cutting patterns on production and nutritive value of six grasses and six legumes. Tropical Grasslands 31, 549-555.
| Google Scholar |

Mohammed AS, Animut G, Urge M, Assefa G (2020) Grazing behavior, dietary value and performance of sheep, goats, cattle and camels co-grazing range with mixed species of grazing and browsing plants. Veterinary and Animal Science 10, 100154.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Moura RL, Oliveira ME, Carvalho WF, Rodrigues MM, Santos MS, Edvan RL, Abdalla AL, Moreira MZ, Silva EM (2022) Evaluation of grass and legume tropical mixtures and performance of grazed sheep. South African Journal of Animal Sciences 52, 23-33.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Nepomuceno DdD, Almeida JCdC, Carvalho MGd, Fernandes RD, Catunda Júnior FEA (2013) Classes of secondary metabolites identified in three legume species. Revista Brasileira de Zootecnia 42, 700-705.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Oliveira GB (2023) Metabolism and rumen microbiome evaluation of cattle fed supplementation of non-protein nitrogen or in mixed grass-legume pasture as methane emission mitigation strategy. PhD thesis, São Paulo University (USP), BR.

Ongaro AFB, Mastuscello JA, Gimenes FMA, Batista ACL, Penteado LF, Premazzi LM, Mattos WT, Vieira MM, Costa RLD, Gerdes L (2023) An alternative to improve legume permanence and tiller dynamics in Megathyrsus maximus. Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica. Section B. Soil and Plant Science 7, 114-126.
| Google Scholar |

Penteado LF (2022) Management strategies in multispecies pastures of Aruana grass and forage legumes under continuous stocking. MS Thesis. Instituto de Zootecnia, Nova Odessa, Brazil.

Pereira TP, Modesto EC, Nepomuceno DdD, Oliveira OFd, Freitas RSXd, Muir JP, Dubeux Junior JCB, Almeida JCdC (2018) Characterization and biological activity of condensed tannins from tropical forage legumes. Pesquisa Agropecuária Brasileira 53, 1070-1077.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Pereira JM, Rezende CdP, Ferreira Borges AM, Homem BGC, Casagrande DR, Macedo TM, Alves BJR, Cabral de Sant’Anna SA, Urquiaga S, Boddey RM (2020) Production of beef cattle grazing on Brachiaria brizantha (Marandu grass) – Arachis pintoi (forage peanut cv. Belomonte) mixtures exceeded that on grass monocultures fertilized with 120 kg N/ha. Grass and Forage Science 75, 28-36.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Quaggio AJ, Alcantara PB, Cantarella H, Paulino VT, Villa MR (2022) Forrageiras. Recomendação de adubação e calagem para o Estado de São Paulo. Campinas: IAC, pp. 428–436.

Sánchez-Navarro V, Zornoza R, Faz Á, Fernández JA (2020) A comparative greenhouse gas emissions study of legume and non-legume crops grown using organic and conventional fertilizers. Scientia Horticulturae 260, 108902.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Sollenberger LE, Cherney DJR (1995) Evaluating forage production and quality. In ‘Forages Volume II: the science of grassland agriculture’. 5th edn. (Eds RF Barnes, CJ Nelson, DA Miller) pp. 97–110. (Iowa State University Press: Ames, IA, USA)

Terra S, de Andrade Gimenes FM, Giacomini AA, Gerdes L, Manço MX, de Mattos WT, Batista K (2020) Seasonal alteration in sward height of Marandu palisade grass (Brachiaria brizantha) pastures managed by continuous grazing interferes with forage production. Crop & Pasture Science 71, 285-293.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Tilley JMA, Terry RA (1963) A two-stage technique for the in vitro digestion of forage crops. Grass and Forage Science 18, 104-111.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Tontini JF, Poli CHEC, Hampel VdS, Farias MdS, Fajardo NM, Silva JAd, Farinatti LHE, Muir JP (2021) Influence of tropical upright pasture structural and chemical characteristics on lamb grazing time. PLoS ONE 16, e0242642.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

t’Mannetje L, Jones RJ, Stobbs TH (1976) Pasture evaluation by grazing experiments. In ‘Tropical pasture research; principles and methods’. (Eds NH Shaw, WW Bryan) pp. 194–234. (Farnham Royal, CAB)

Van Soest PJ (1964) Symposium on nutrition and forage and pastures: new chemical procedures for evaluating forages. Journal of Animal Science 23, 838-845.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Van Soest PJ, Robertson JB, Lewis BA (1991) Methods for dietary fiber, neutral detergent fiber, and nonstarch polysaccharides in relation to animal nutrition. Journal of Dairy Science 74, 3583-3597.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Wolfinger R (1993) Covariance structure selection in general mixed models. Communications in Statistics - Simulation and Computation 22, 1079-1106.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |