Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-c4f8m Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-23T17:18:26.880Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Herbage intake, methane emissions and animal performance of steers grazing dwarf elephant grass v. dwarf elephant grass and peanut pastures

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 April 2016

E. A. Andrade
Affiliation:
Departamento de Produção Animal e Alimentos, Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina, Av. Luiz de Camões, 2090, Lages, SC 88520-000, Brazil
E. X. Almeida
Affiliation:
Empresa de Pesquisa Agropecuária e Extensão Rural de Santa Catarina, Lageado Água Negras, Ituporanga, SC 88400-000, Brazil
G. T. Raupp
Affiliation:
Departamento de Produção Animal e Alimentos, Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina, Av. Luiz de Camões, 2090, Lages, SC 88520-000, Brazil
M. F. Miguel
Affiliation:
Departamento de Produção Animal e Alimentos, Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina, Av. Luiz de Camões, 2090, Lages, SC 88520-000, Brazil
D. M. de Liz
Affiliation:
Departamento de Produção Animal e Alimentos, Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina, Av. Luiz de Camões, 2090, Lages, SC 88520-000, Brazil
P. C. F. Carvalho
Affiliation:
Departamento de Plantas Forrageiras e Agrometeorologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Bento Gonçalves, 7712, Porto Alegre, RS 91540-000, Brazil
C. Bayer
Affiliation:
Departamento de Solos, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Bento Gonçalves, 7712, Porto Alegre, RS 91540-000, Brazil
H. M. N. Ribeiro-Filho*
Affiliation:
Departamento de Produção Animal e Alimentos, Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina, Av. Luiz de Camões, 2090, Lages, SC 88520-000, Brazil
Get access

Abstract

Management strategies for increasing ruminant legume consumption and mitigating methane emissions from tropical livestock production systems require further study. The aim of this work was to evaluate the herbage intake, animal performance and enteric methane emissions of cattle grazing dwarf elephant grass (DEG) (Pennisetum purpureum cv. BRS Kurumi) alone or DEG with peanut (Arachis pintoi cv. Amarillo). The experimental treatments were the following: DEG pastures receiving nitrogen fertilization (150 kg N/ha as ammonium nitrate) and DEG intercropped with peanut plus an adjacent area of peanut that was accessible to grazing animals for 5 h/day (from 0700 to 1200 h). The animals grazing legume pastures showed greater average daily gain and herbage intake, and shorter morning and total grazing times. Daily methane emissions were greater from the animals grazing legume pastures, whereas methane emissions per unit of herbage intake did not differ between treatments. Allowing animals access to an exclusive area of legumes in a tropical grass-pasture-based system can improve animal performance without increasing methane production per kg of dry matter intake.

Type
Short Communication
Copyright
© The Animal Consortium 2016 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Allen VG, Batello C, Berretta EJ, Hodgson J, Kothmann M, Li X, McIvor J, Milne J, Morris C, Peeters A and Sanderson M 2011. An international terminology for grazing lands and grazing animals. Grass and Forage Science 66, 228.Google Scholar
Archimède, H, Eugène, M, Marie Magdeleine, C, Boval, M, Martin, C, Morgavi, DP, Lecomte, P and Doreau, M 2011. Comparison of methane production between C3 and C4 grasses and legumes. Animal Feed Science and Technology 166–167, 5964.Google Scholar
Crestani, S, Ribeiro Filho, HMN, Miguel, MF, de Almeida, EX and Santos, FAP 2013. Steers performance in dwarf elephant grass pastures alone or mixed with Arachis pintoi. Tropical Animal Health And Production 45, 13691374.Google Scholar
CSIRO 2007. Nutrient requirements of domestic ruminants. CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood, Australia.Google Scholar
Frame, J and Newbould, P 1986. Agronomy of white clover. Advances in Agronomy 40, 188.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hodgson, J 2004. Measurements of herbage intake and ingestive behaviour in grazing animals: an introduction. In Herbage intake handbook (ed. PD Penning), pp. 1521. The British Grassland Society, Reading, UK.Google Scholar
Janssen, PH 2010. Influence of hydrogen on rumen methane formation and fermentation balances through microbial growth kinetics and fermentation thermodynamics. Animal Feed Science and Technology 160, 122.Google Scholar
Jouany, JP and Morgavi, DP 2007. Use of ‘natural’ products as alternatives to antibiotic feed additives in ruminant production. Animal 1, 14431466.Google Scholar
Kennedy, PM and Charmley, E 2012. Methane yields from Brahman cattle fed tropical grasses and legumes. Animal Production Science 52, 225239.Google Scholar
Min, B, Barry, T, Attwood, G and McNabb, W 2003. The effect of condensed tannins on the nutrition and health of ruminants fed fresh temperate forages: a review. Animal Feed Science and Technology 106, 319.Google Scholar
Schnaider, MA, Ribeiro-Filho, HMN, Kozloski, GV, Reiter, T, Orsoletta, ACD and Dallabrida, AL 2014. Intake and digestion of wethers fed with dwarf elephant grass hay with or without the inclusion of peanut hay. Tropical Animal Health Production 46, 975980.Google Scholar
Supplementary material: File

Andrade supplementary material

Andrade supplementary material S1

Download Andrade supplementary material(File)
File 50.8 KB
Supplementary material: File

Andrade supplementary material

Table S1

Download Andrade supplementary material(File)
File 14.6 KB