This study aimed to evaluate the viability of replacing corn meal with citrus pulp (0, 25, 50, 75, and 100 % dry matter of corn meal) by evaluating several nutritional parameters such as intake and digestibility of nutrients, and ruminal fermentation parameters. The diets were formulated to be isoproteic with a roughage:concentrate ratio of 60:40. Five crossbred lambs with an initial average weight of 26.1 ± 1.8 kg were used and distributed in a 5 x 5 Latin Square design. For digestibility of nutrients was carried out to feed, orts, and feces collection. The evaluated nutrients were dry matter, crude protein, ether extract, ash, neutral detergent fiber, fiber acid detergent and lignin. Were determined nitrogen and carbohydrate fractions, and ruminal fermentation parameters (N-NH 3 and ruminal pH). The results were subjected to analysis of variance and regression analysis (t-test; α = 0.05). Citrus pulp inclusion in the diets did not affect intake and digestibility of nutrients, or the pH and the NH 3 -N content of the rumen fluid. Citrus pulp can be used as a total substitute for corn in concentrate or up to 26.5% in the total ration for lambs (dry basis). Key words: By-product, NH 3 , nutrients, pH, sheep ResumoObjetivou-se avaliar a viabilidade da substituição do milho por polpa cítrica peletizada (0; 25; 50; 75 e 100 % da MS de milho) em dietas para cordeiros, com base em variáveis nutricionais. utilizados cinco borregos mestiços com peso inicial médio de 26,1±1,8 kg distribuídos segundo um delineamento em quadrado latino 5 x 5. Para a determinação da digestibilidade dos nutrientes foi realizada a coleta de amostras de alimentos oferecidos e sobras e coleta total de fezes. Os nutrientes avaliados foram matéria seca, proteína bruta, extrato etéreo, cinzas, fibra em detergente neutro, fibra em detergente ácido e lignina. Foram determinadas as frações nitrogenadas e de carboidratos, e os parâmetros de fermentação ruminal (N-NH3 e pH ruminal). Os resultados foram interpretados de acordo com a análise de variância, e as médias estudadas por meio de análise de regressão (teste "t"; α=0,05). Não houve efeito da inclusão de polpa cítrica à dieta sobre o consumo, coeficientes de digestibilidade dos nutrientes, bem como no pH e concentrações de N-NH 3 no líquido ruminal. O consumo de nutrientes foi capaz de atender as exigências nutricionais preconizadas para a referida categoria. A polpa cítrica pode ser utilizada como substituta total do milho na mistura concentrada ou em até 26,5% da ração total (base seca) para cordeiros.

-This study aimed to assess the effect of nitrogen (N) and potassium (K) fertilisation on the forage accumulation and nutritive value of Urochloa ruziziensis during the summer of 2010/2011 and autumn, winter, spring and summer of 2011/2012. A complete randomised block design with four treatments (0, 120, 240 and 360 kg ha -1 year -1 N and K 2 O) and five replicates were used. The data were analysed under the PROC MIXED of SAS ® . The following variables were evaluated: sward height; forage mass; forage bulk density; percentages of leaf blade dry matter, stem dry matter, and dead material dry matter; leaf blade:stem ratio; contents of dry matter and crude protein; in vitro digestibility of dry matter; neutral detergent fibre content; and lignin content of Urochloa ruziziensis. There was an interaction between the N and K levels of fertilisation and the season for all variables. In addition, there was a positive linear effect of the N and K levels of fertilisation on the forage accumulation rate, the crude protein content and the in vitro digestibility of dry matter and a negative linear effect these levels on the neutral detergent fibre and lignin contents during the spring and summer of 2011/2012. N . Foram avaliadas as variáveis: altura do dossel, massa de forragem, densidade volumétrica da forragem; porcentagens de massas secas de lâminas foliares, colmos de material morto; relação lâmina: colmo; teores de matéria seca, proteína bruta e digestibilidade in vitro da matéria seca, fibra em detergente neutro, lignina da forragem da Urochloa ruziziensis. Houve efeito de interação entre doses de adubação com N e K e estação do ano para todas as variáveis. Também houve efeito linear positivo de doses de fertilização com N e K sobre a taxa de acúmulo de forragem, o teor de proteína bruta e da digestibilidade in vitro da matéria seca, e efeito linear negativo sobre os teores de fibra em detergente neutro e de lignina durante a primavera e o verão 2. A adubação com N e K e as mudanças climáticas características de cada estação afetam de forma conjunta o acúmulo e valor nutritivo da Urochloa ruziziensis. A adubação com N e K com até 360 kg ha -1 ano -1 aumenta o acúmulo de foragem e o valor nutritivo de Urochloa ruziziensis.Palavras-chave: Proteína bruta. Massa de forragem. Lignina. Fibra em detergente neutro. Altura do dossel.

<p>This study aimed to evaluate the viability of replacing corn meal with citrus pulp (0, 25, 50, 75, and 100 % dry matter of corn meal) by evaluating several nutritional parameters such as intake and digestibility of nutrients, and ruminal fermentation parameters. The diets were formulated to be isoproteic with a roughage:concentrate ratio of 60:40. Five crossbred lambs with an initial average weight of 26.1 ± 1.8 kg were used and distributed in a 5 x 5 Latin Square design. For digestibility of nutrients was carried out to feed, orts, and feces collection. The evaluated nutrients were dry matter, crude protein, ether extract, ash, neutral detergent fiber, fiber acid detergent and lignin. Were determined nitrogen and carbohydrate fractions, and ruminal fermentation parameters (N-NH 3 and ruminal pH). The results were subjected to analysis of variance and regression analysis (t-test; ? = 0.05). Citrus pulp inclusion in the diets did not affect intake and digestibility of nutrients, or the pH and the NH3-N content of the rumen fluid. Citrus pulp can be used as a total substitute for corn in concentrate or up to 26.5% in the total ration for lambs (dry basis). </p>

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of nitrogen and potassium fertilization on the morphogenetic and structural characteristics and production of Urochloa ruziziensis in two summer seasons (summer 1, 2010–2011and summer 2, 2011–2012) and the autumn and spring of 2011. A randomized complete block design with four treatments (0, 120, 240, and 360 kg ha-1 year-1 of N and K2O) and five replications was used, with repeated measurements in each season, in a split plot arrangement. The treatments were allocated to the plots and the seasons of the year to the subplots. The phyllochron (PHY),leaf appearance rate (LAR), leaf elongation rate (LER), stem elongation rate (SER), tiller population density (TPD), tiller appearance rate (TAR), tiller mortality rate (TMR), leaf growth rate (LGR), stem growth rate (SGR), senescence rate (SR), forage accumulation rate (FAR), and leaf accumulation rate (LAR) of Urochloa ruziziensis were evaluated. There was a positive quadratic effect for the PHY and ELR, with maximum values of 4.3 days leaf-1 and 0.43 cm tiller-1 day-1, respectively. While the SER increased linearly (0.0012 cm day-1 kg-1 of N and K2O) during summer 2. The TPD, TAR, and TMR increased linearly (averages of 1.53 tillers m-2, 0.04% and 0.02% per kg of N and K2O, respectively) with nitrogen and potassium fertilization during spring and both summer seasons. The LGR, SGR, and SR also increased linearly with N and K2O application rates during summer 2 (0.2809, 0.0082, and 0.0411 kg DM ha-1 day-1, per kg of N and K2O, respectively), while the FAR and LAR increased in a quadratic positive form (maximum values of 175 and 129 kg dry matter (DM) ha-1, corresponding to 294 and 237 kg ha-1 of N and K2O, respectively) during summer 2. Urochloa ruziziensis is a forage plant with a high DM production capacity during the summer and a high seasonal forage production.