No abstract

O manejo do pastejo e a suplementação estratégica permitem maximizar a produção de carne bovina em pastagens de forma sustentável. A intensidade de pastejo influencia diretamente o crescimento individual, taxas de aparecimento e mortalidade de perfilhos, a determinar o acúmulo de forragem e a estrutura do dossel. Dessa forma, nas águas, é função do manejo do pastejo adequar a frequência e intensidade de desfolhação para que o animal possa colher forragem com idade fisiológica e valor nutritivo adequados. A idade e tamanho dos perfilhos determinam a proporção de tecidos de suporte lignificados que reduzem a digestibilidade da forragem. No período seco, o manejo do pasto e a estratégia de diferimento, ao final do período das águas, são determinantes na obtenção de forragem de melhor valor nutritivo. Assim, o manejo das pastagens visa, primeiramente, à produção de forragens com altos teores de fibra potencialmente digestíveis. A partir de então, a caracterização da quantidade e qualidade da forragem são primordiais à adequação dos nutrientes fornecidos, via suplementos, para otimizar a utilização dos recursos forrageiros basais. A suplementação da dieta dos animais em pastejo, com concentrado, permite aumentar o desempenho dos animais, o que reduz a idade de abate e melhora a qualidade da carcaça e da carne obtida, além dos benefícios na preparação dos animais terminados em confinamento. Portanto, o manejo do pastejo e a suplementação da dieta dos animais permitem aumento de produtividade e maior qualidade dos produtos.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of pasture management during the rainy-dry transition season in Jaboticabal, Brazil, on the structural and tillering characteristics of Marandu palisade grass. The treatments were as follows: 15 cm sward height in the rainy season and ungrazed in the rainy-dry transition season (15/0); 25 cm sward height during the rainy season and fixed stocking rate of 2Á5 AU ha À1 during the rainy-dry transition season (25/2Á5); and 35 cm sward height in the rainy season and fixed stocking rate of 2Á5 AU ha À1 in the rainy-dry transition season (35/2Á5). There were more herbage mass, stem and dead herbage mass in treatments 25/2Á5 and 35/2Á5 than 15/0. Tiller appearance rate was greater in treatment 15/0 and tiller mortality rate was higher in treatment 35/2Á5 compared to treatment 15/0. Tiller population stability index was 1 in treatment 15/0 and lower in treatment 35/2Á5. Although treatment 15/0 showed favourable structural and tillering characteristics, it also has the lowest herbage mass. Treatment 25/2Á5 can be regarded as an adequate management strategy for Marandu palisade grass, since it has similar herbage mass and better tillering characteristics than treatment 35/2Á5.

RESUMO.Objetivou-se avaliar a produtividade de massa seca (MS) e a composição bromatológica de quatro espécies de Brachiaria em diferentes formas de semeadura, exclusivamente ou em consórcio com a cultura do milho, sob sistema plantio direto na palha. O experimento foi conduzido no ano de 2006, na FEPE, pertencente à FE/Unesp -Campus de Ilha Solteira, localizada no município de Selvíria, Estado do Mato Grosso do Sul. O solo da área experimental foi classificado como Latossolo Vermelho distroférrico. O delineamento experimental foi o de blocos casualizados, em esquema fatorial 4 x 4, com cinco repetições. Os tratamentos constituíram-se de quatro espécies de Brachiaria (B. brizantha cv. Marandu, B. decumbens, B. ruziziensis e capim-mulato II) semeadas em linha e a lanço, de forma exclusiva ou consorciada simultaneamente com a semeadura da cultura do milho. Avaliou-se a produtividade de massa seca e os teores de NDT, PB, FDN, FDA, hemicelulose, celulose, lignina e cinzas da forragem. O consórcio a lanço das forrageiras com a cultura do milho se mostrou viável por apresentar produtividade de massa seca semelhante às modalidades de semeadura exclusiva, inversamente o que ocorreu com o consórcio na linha da cultura do milho, a qual reduziu tal produtividade. A B. ruziziensis apresentou melhor composição bromatológica e os consórcios elevaram os teores de NDT e PB, bem como reduziram os componentes da parede celular.Palavras-chave: Brachiaria brizantha, Brachiaria decumbens, Brachiaria ruziziensis, capim-mulato II, integração lavoura-pecuária.ABSTRACT. Dry mass and chemical composition of four Brachiaria species sown in rows or spread, in intercrop with corn crop in no-tillage system. The objective of this research was to evaluate the dry mass yield and chemical composition of four Brachiaria species in different options for sowing, exclusively or in intercrop with corn crop, under a no-tillage system. The experiment was carried out during the growing seasons of 2006 at FEPE (FE/Unesp, Ilha Solteira Campus) located in Selvíria, Mato Grosso do Sul State, Brazil. The soil of the experimental area was classified as distroferric Red Latosol (Oxisol). The experimental design was in randomized blocks, in a factorial scheme (4 x 4), with five replications. The treatments consisted of four Brachiaria species (Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu, Brachiaria decumbens, Brachiaria ruziziensis and Mulato II grass) grown in rows and spread on total area, exclusively or intercropped simultaneously with corn crop sowing. The study evaluated the dry mass yield and total digestible nutrients, crude protein, ash, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, hemicelluloses, cellulose and lignin content of forage. The spread on total area intercrop of forages with corn crop proved to be viable by presenting similar dry mass yield to exclusive sowing arrangements, conversely to what happened with intercrop in row of corn crop, which decreased such yield. Brachiaria ruziziensis showed superior chemical composition and the intercrops increase...

-The objective of this study was to evaluate the Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu canopy structure maintained at different grazing heights under a continuous stocking rate and with a dietary supplementation strategy for the animals during the rainy season. This study also intended to observe the relationships of these variables with the grazing behaviors of the heifers.The effects of three canopy heights (15, 25 and 35 cm) were evaluated in association with three types of supplements: one mineral and two protein/energy supplements, the first with a high rumen degradable protein and energy and the others with a low ratio.Both the protein/energy supplements were provided at 0.3% of body weight/day. The experimental design was completely randomized, with two replications and repeated measures, and took place during the period from January to April 2008. The supplementation strategies did not affect any variable related to the canopy structure. Total and green herbage masses and the ratio of green/dead material increased with canopy height. The leaf/stem ratio was higher in the lowest canopy height: 15 cm.Changes in the canopy structure caused variations in the grazing behavior of the animals. Animals maintained in the 15-cm-tall pasture grazed for a longer time, increasing the time for each meal, but the number of meals was lower than that of the animals grazing within the 35-cm-tall pasture. The grazing time of animals receiving the energy/protein supplement was lower only in the period of the day during which it was supplied. Canopy structure is affected by sward height, and changes animal behavior.Supplementation does not affect the canopy structure of the pastures with similar heights.