Black oat (Avena strigosa Schreb.) grazing or silage for small-scale dairy systems in the highlands of central Mexico. Part I. Crop and dairy cow performance

Abstract

Small-scale dairy systems are important worldwide for local and national production, and an option to overcome poverty. Effects of climate change need forage options adapted to future scenarios. This research addressed the hypothesis that black-oat (Avena strigosa Schreb.), either grazing regrowth or as first-cut silage in the dry season, is a forage option for small-scale dairy farmers in the highlands of Mexico. Part I presents performance of crop and dairy cows. There were two experiments. Treatments in Experiment 1 were restricted grazing of black-oat regrowth (BKO), black-oat with red clover (Trifolium pratense L. 'Kenland') (BKC) or a multi-species pasture (MSP) of grasses and white clover (T. repens L.) Experiment 2 evaluated inclusion of 2.5 (T1), 5.0 (T2) or 7.5 (T3) kg DM cow-1 d-1 of black-oat silage. Nine Holstein cows were used in both experiments, organized in groups of three randomly allotted to treatment in multiple 3×3 Latin squares replicated three times. Cows received 4.6 kg DM d-1 concentrate. There were no differences (P > 0.05) in animal variables with mean milk yields of 10.8 and 15.2 kg cow-1 d-1 , 37.7 and 30.0 g kg-1 milkfat, 31.1 and 32.5 g kg-1 milk protein, 512.3 and 482.2 kg live weight, and 2.6 and 2.5 body condition score, for Experiment 1 and 2 respectively. Grazing black oat regrowth was equivalent to grazing temperate pastures, and the performance of cows was independent of the amount of black oat silage supplied. Black oat is a forage resource for small-scale dairy systems for grazing and silage.

Feeding Forage Mixtures of Ryegrass (Lolium spp.) with Clover (Trifolium spp.) Supplemented with Local Feed Diets to Reduce Enteric Methane Emission Efficiency in Small-Scale Dairy Systems: A Simulated Study

“…Fadul-Pacheco et al [ 14 ] previously characterized the SSDS in the study area, and Alfonso-Ávila et al [ 8 ], Martínez-García et al [ 9 ], Celis-Alvarez el al. [ 15 ], López-González et al [ 16 ], Jaimez-García et al [ 17 ], Sainz-Sánchez et al [ 18 ], Plata-Reyes et al [ 19 ], Becerril-Gil et al [ 20 ]; Burbano-Muñoz et al [ 21 ], Carrillo-Hernández et al [ 22 ], Gómez-Miranda et al [ 23 ], González-Alcántara et al [ 24 ], López-González et al [ 25 ], Marín-Santana et al [ 26 ], Rosas-Dávila et al [ 27 ], Vega-García et al [ 28 ], Muciño-Álvarez et al [ 29 ], identified different local feeding strategies used during the rainy and dry seasons. Based on previous research studies, the different feeding scenarios were determined ( Table 1 ).…”

Nutritive value and forage accumulation of a black oat germplasm in the northeastern United States

“…Black oat ( Avena strigosa Schreb.) is a cool‐season annual grass with Mediterranean origin and has been used throughout humid subtropical regions for crop and livestock production systems (Restelatto et al., 2014; Ribeiro et al., 2020; Vega‐García et al., 2020). Compared to other cool‐season grasses, black oat is more heat tolerant and disease resistant, which makes it an attractive forage option for humid temperate regions of the United States.…”

Black oat as an alternative forage species for the US upper Midwest

“…Black oat ( Avena strigosa Schreb.) is a cool‐season annual grass with an origin in the Mediterranean and has been used in crop and livestock systems throughout humid subtropical regions (Restelatto et al., 2014; Ribeiro et al., 2020; Vega‐García et al., 2020). Relative to other cool‐season grasses, black oat is more heat tolerant and disease resistant.…”