Some species of Brachiaria, generally tetraploid apomictic varieties, have become important forage grasses in the tropics. Breeding of Brachiaria depends on compatibility with the available apomitic tretraploid cultivars. This paper describes a procedure for chromosome duplication of two Bracharia brizantha diploid sexual accessions, using colchicine treatment of basal segments of in-vitro-grown plants. Explants were cultured on a medium containing 1 mg/l naphthaleneacetic acid, 3 mg/l kinetin and 0.01% colchicine for 48 h and transferred to the same medium without colchicine until shoot regeneration occurred. Regenerated plants were screened by flow cytometry, and chromosome number duplication was confirmed by cytological analysis of root tips.

Lipid supplements (oilseeds vegetables) are included in ruminant diet to increase its energy density and improve fatty acid composition of milk and consequently of fresh cheese. Milk and cheeses were evaluated from crossbred Holstein × Zebu, fed diets enriched with 0%, 25%, 50%, and 75% inclusion levels of palm kernel cake in concentrated supplement, which were supplied daily (3.0 kg). Milk and fresh cheese (p = 0.001) fatty acids C12:0 exhibited quadratic negative values. Milk fatty acids C13:0, C20:0, C18:2t10c12, and C20:2n-6 presented positive quadratic values. The milk C18:2n-6 decreased linearly and in fresh cheese exhibited an increasing linear effect (p = 0.016). However, the fatty acids grouped in milk fat were not affected. The medium-chain fatty acids varied negatively and quadratically (p = 0.045). There was no effect on milk and fresh cheese chemical composition (p > 0.05). The milk fat was increased (p = 0.0065) quadratically (minimum point of 24.7%). Thus, the addition of palm kernel cake to cow diets negatively altered the fatty acid profile, it raises the percentage OPEN ACCESSMolecules 2015, 20 15435 of lauric (C12) and tridecanoic (C13) acids fat which is not beneficial to human health from a nutraceutical perspective, although it did not influence the atherogenicity index.

Avaliou-se o efeito da inclusão de diferentes níveis (0, 5, 10 e 15%) de bagaço de mandioca à dieta de 12 vacas mestiças leiteiras Holandês x Zebu (composição racial com variação de ¼ a ¾ de sangue H x Z) com 478,5kg de peso corporal médio e com 100 a 150 dias de lactação, distribuídas em três Quadrados Latinos 4 x 4. Foi avaliado o consumo de matéria seca (MS), matéria orgânica (MO), proteína bruta (PB), extrato etéreo (EE), fibra em detergente neutro (FDN), fibra em detergente ácido (FDA), carboidratos totais (CHT), carboidratos não-fibrosos (CNF) e nutrientes digestíveis totais (NDT). Forneceu-se silagem de capim-elefante como fonte de volumoso. As relações volumoso:concentrado utilizadas foram de 65,19:34,81; 61,59:38,41; 59,08:40,92 e 54,76:45,24. Formularam-se as dietas isoprotéicas e isoenergéticas. Houve aumento linear do consumo de MS, MO, PB, CHT, CNF e NDT, efeito quadrático do consumo de EE e redução do consumo de FDA com o aumento do BM, enquanto o consumo de FDN não diferiu entre os tratamentos.O bagaço de mandioca pode ser utilizado até o nível de 15% de inclusão na dieta total de vacas mestiças leiteiras sem trazer transtornos fisiológicos ou nutricionais aos animais.

-The objective of this study was to evaluate the nutritional and productive characteristics of primiparous lactating cows grazing on tropical pasture, using different levels of crude glycerin in the supplement. The experiment was conducted at Rancho Santana farm, located in Jequié city, Bahia, Brazil, in the period from December 21, 2010 to March 16, 2011. Ten ¾ Holstein × ¼ Dairy Gyr lactating primiparous cows, with 109±24 days of lactation and a mean age of 30±6 months and mean body weight of 426.2±68.29 kg were distributed into five treatments, using two simultaneous 5 × 5 latin squares. Treatments consisted of inclusion levels (0, 94, 191, 289, 389 g/kg dry matter basis) of crude glycerin in the supplement. Intake, digestibility, milk production and composition were measured. Results were statistically analyzed by analysis of variance and regression at 0.05 probability. For all consumption variables no significant differences were found between the levels of crude glycerin. Except for the digestibility of ether extract, all digestibility values were similar between treatments. The fat content and yield showed quadratic effect between treatments. No significant differences were observed for protein, lactose, total solids, nonfat dry extract, fat:protein ratio, milk urea nitrogen and somatic cell count between treatments. For primiparous lactating cows grazing on tropical pasture, up to 389 g of crude glycerin/kg of dietary supplement can be included without nutritional and productive interference.

No abstract

ResumoObjetivou-se, com este estudo, avaliar as correlações entre o desempenho e o comportamento ingestivo de novilhas mestiças a pasto. O experimento foi conduzido na fazenda Princesa do Mateiro, município de Ribeirão do Largo, Bahia. Foram utilizadas 20 novilhas com grau de sangue 5/8 Guzerá linhagem leiteira e 3/8 Holandesa, com média de 18 meses de idade e peso corporal médio de 187 ± 13,1 kg. O experimento teve duração de 224 dias e os animais criados em lotação rotacionada de Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandú. Verifica-se uma correlação positiva entre o tempo de pastejo com ganho de peso (GP) e ganho médio diário (GMD). O tempo de ruminação apresentou correlações positivas com o peso corporal (PC). Correlações negativas foram verificadas entre o tempo de outras atividades e conversão alimentar (CA). O tempo de outras atividades apresentou correlação positiva com o GP e GMD. Observa-se uma correlação negativamente entre o tempo de alimentação total e mastigação total com o GMD e GP. O tempo de mastigação total apresentou correlação positiva com CA. O ganho de peso, ganho médio diário e conversão alimentar não apresentaram correlações significativas com os períodos discretos do comportamento ingestivo. O desempenho não está associado ao comportamento ingestivo de novilhas mestiças a pasto. Sendo assim, desmistifica-se, através deste estudo, a relação entre comportamento alimentar e o desempenho produtivo. As correlações encontradas com os aspectos da ruminação demonstraram que o mesmo não interfere nos resultados produtivos dos animais. Palavras-chave: Bocado, bovino, ganho, pastejo AbstractThe objective of this study was to evaluate the correlation between the performance and ingestive behavior of crossbred heifers in grass. The experiment was conducted at Princesa do Mateiro farm, Ribeirao do Largo, Bahia. 20 heifers were used with blood level 5/8 Guzerá milk lineage and 3/8 Holstein, with an average of 18 months of age and body weight of 187 ± 13.1 kg. The experiment

Objetivou-se avaliar o comportamento ingestivo de novilhas leiteiras alimentadas com níveis de farelo de cacau (0; 7; 14 e 21%). Foram utilizadas 20 novilhas leiteiras ¾ Gir x ¼ Holandês, com peso corporal inicial médio de 165,5 ± 35,8kg. Os animais foram distribuídos em delineamento inteiramente casualizado, com quatro tratamentos e cinco repetições, e receberam dietas compostas de silagem de capim elefante como volumoso e concentrado com níveis crescentes de inclusão de farelo de cacau. Foram avaliados os consumos, assim como suas eficiências de alimentação e ruminação. Para determinação do comportamento ingestivo, as novilhas foram submetidas, no penúltimo dia do período experimental, à observação visual, a cada cinco minutos, durante 24 horas. Os consumos de matéria seca, de fibra em detergente neutro, de carboidratos não fibrosos e de nutrientes digestíveis totais não foram influenciados pelos níveis de inclusão de farelo de cacau na dieta. Os tempos gastos em alimentação, ruminação e ócio não diferiram entre os tratamentos, assim como o número de períodos e os tempos gastos em cada período das respectivas atividades. O tempo gasto por bolo ruminado, o número de mastigações por bolo, o número de bolos ruminados por dia e o tempo de mastigação total não sofreram efeito das dietas. A eficiência de alimentação dos carboidratos não fibrosos teve efeito linear crescente, à medida que foi incluso o farelo de cacau na dieta. A inclusão de até 21% de farelo de cacau na dieta total não altera o comportamento ingestivo de novilhas leiteiras.

This study examined the effectiveness of control measures for caprine arthritis-encephalitis in a herd with 431 dairy goats in an intensive rearing system. All animals older than six months were initially tested by agar gel immunodiffusion (AGID) and separated into seropositive and seronegative. Control measures were implemented for two years and ten months. Five serological examinations were subsequently performed two by AGID and three by the Western Blot (WB) technique. In these tests, animals that tested negative in the previous serological examination were evaluated along with those older than six months which had not yet been examined. The effectiveness of control was evaluated based on the incidence of the disease. Seroconverted animals were stratified according to age, physiological status and dam serology. For the effect of time, logistic regression was performed at the 5% significance level, with values converted into likelihood. General incidence and incidence as a function of age and physiological status were evaluated by analysis of variance, with means compared by Tukey’s test at 5% significance. The ratio test was used for incidence and physiological status, and the agreement between the AGID and WB tests was determined by the Kappa coefficient. Animals that seroconverted and were born to positive dams were compared with those born to dams negative at birth by the Chi-square test, and the same was applied for the number of discarded animals. Initially, 54.24% (179/330) positive and 257 seroconverted animals were identified after the start of control. Higher incidence occurred in the animals aged between 13 and 36 months and in lactating does. Seroconversions among offspring of seropositive dams were higher than in the offspring of seronegative dams (p < 0.001). High infection rates were identified in the sires. The obtained results were not satisfactory, as the measures did not help to prevent new cases, indicating that there are moments of infection yet to be elucidated. On farms that aim to control the disease, the following measures are required in addition to those already recommended: use of diagnostic tests with less frequency; application of high-sensitivity tests in the offspring; immediate separation of kids from dams at birth; separation of kids according to the serological status of the dams; inclusion of kids from unsupervised births in the group of kids from positive dams; and keeping positive and negative animals on different farms or greatly distanced. In herds for which there is an intention to establish control, it is important to determine whether the productive losses associated with the disease are greater than the costs of implementing more efficient measures.