ABSTRACT. The experiment was carried out at the Comigo Technology Center, in Rio Verde, State of Goiás, Brazil, with the objective of evaluating the effects of supplementation with calcium butyrate, as a growth promoting agent for the duodenal mucosa and Bacillus subtilis as a probiotic performance enhancer in feedlot cattle. Calcium butyrate (5 and 10 g per animal per day) and Bacillus (10 g per animal per day) were added to a basal diet. There were used 85 Nelore bulls, with average weight of 315 ± 7 kg. The experiment lasted 118 days, including the adaptation period, until slaughter at 30 months of age. Diets were distributed in a completely randomized design with four treatments, where: T1 = control (basal diet); T2 = basal diet + 5 g calcium butyrate; T3 = basal diet + 10 g calcium butyrate and T4 = basal diet + 10 g calcium butyrate + 10 g probiotic with four replications and five to six animals per replication. It was used a forage: concentrate ratio of 30:70, the roughage used was the corn silage. Height and width measurements of intestinal villi were taken, and carcass and meat quality were evaluated. The supplementation of calcium butyrate and Bacillus subtilis positively influenced (p < 0.05) the carcass marbling level and calcium butyrate increased the villus height in the small intestine.Keywords: duodenum, probiotic, ruminants.Histologia duodenal e características de carcaça de bovinos de corte suplementados com butirato de cálcio e Bacillus subtilis RESUMO. Conduziu-se o experimento no Centro Tecnológico Comigo, localizado no município de Rio Verde, Estado de Goiás, Brasil, com o objetivo de avaliar os efeitos da suplementação com butirato de cálcio, como agente promotor de crescimento da mucosa duodenal e com Bacillus subtilis como probiótico melhorador de desempenho em bovinos confinados. Adicionou-se butirato de cálcio (5 e 10 g animal ) em uma ração base. Utilizaram-se 85 bovinos machos inteiros, da raça Nelore, com peso vivo médio inicial de 315 ± 7 kg. O experimento transcorreu num período de 118 dias, incluindo o período de adaptação, até o abate aos 30 meses de idade. As dietas foram distribuídas em delineamento inteiramente casualizado sendo quatro tratamentos: T1 = Controle (ração basal); T2 = ração basal + 5 g de butirato de cálcio; T3 = ração basal + 10 g de butirato de cálcio e T4 = ração basal + 10 g de butirato de cálcio + 10 g de bacillus. Utilizou-se uma relação volumoso: concentrado de 30:70, o volumoso utilizado foi silagem de milho. Foram realizadas mensurações de altura e largura de vilosidade intestinal, avaliação de carcaça e qualidade de carne. A suplementação de butirato de cálcio e bacillus subtilis influenciou positivamente (p < 0,05) o grau marmoreio da carcaça e o butirato de cálcio aumentou a altura de vilosidade do intestino delgado.Palavras-chave: duodeno, probiótico, ruminantes.

Forage seasonality makes farmers use conservation practices. Mixing corn silage and legumes can enhance silage quality and hence animal productivity. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate yield and quality of silages from intercropping between genetically modified corn and soybean for glyphosate tolerance (RR - Roundup Ready) as a function of plant spatial arrangement, soybean variety, and sowing fertilization methods. Two intercropping arrangements of RR corn and RR soybeans were tested: alternate single rows of corn and soybeans and double corn rows for each soybean row. Treatments were randomized blocks with four replications, arranged in a 2x2+1 factorial scheme. The first factor was sowing fertilization method (2): only in corn rows or in total area. The second factor was soybean variety (2): medium- and late-cycle genotypes, and an additional treatment of corn monoculture. After harvest, forage material was analyzed for agronomic characteristics and then ensiled for 60 days. Thereafter, bromatological composition, fermentation profile, and losses were analyzed during silage fermentation process. No differences were observed among treatments for total silage production. Overall, silage from intercropping treatments showed higher levels of hemicellulose, total digestible nutrients, crude protein, and ether extract, thus improving silage quality. However, lower contents of dry matter, acid detergent fiber, and cellulose were also observed in silage from intercropped treatments. In short, adding soybeans to silage can improve final roughage, reducing costs of protein and energy supplements.

O consórcio de milho com leguminosas pode aumentar a qualidade da silagem e resultar em maior produtividade animal. Objetivou-se nesta pesquisa avaliar aspectos agronômicos das culturas consorciadas entre milho e soja, perfil fermentativo e bromatológico da silagem produzida, em função do arranjo espacial das plantas e tipos de adubação. Foram realizados dois ensaios com dois arranjos espaciais: ensaio 1 – arranjo simples com uma linha de milho alternada com uma linha de soja; ensaio 2  - arranjo duplo com duas linhas de milho alternada com uma linha de soja. O delineamento foi em blocos ao acaso em esquema fatorial 2x2+1, com quatro repetições. O primeiro fator constou de duas modalidades de adubação de semeadura na linha: somente no milho e em área total. O segundo fator pelas doses de 100 e 70 kg ha-1 de P2O5 e K2O, respectivamente; e de 150 e 95 kg ha-1 de P2O5 e K2O, respectivamente. O monocultivo de milho foi a testemunha. Após a colheita, o material foi ensilado por 60 dias. Não houve diferença estatística no rendimento de silagem entre tratamentos, apenas aumentos na produção de vagens de soja e na qualidade da silagem nas doses maiores de adubação. Os resultados mostram que a adição de soja na silagem de milho ocasiona maiores perdas durante o processo de fermentação, mas em contrapartida eleva os teores de proteína, extrato etéreo e de digestibilidade. Ressalta-se que um volumoso com essas características pode vir a suprir a suplementação proteica em dietas de ruminantes.

The objective of this study was to produce silage from intercropped RR glyphosate tolerant corn (RR - Roundup Ready) and RR soybeans under Brazilian Cerrado conditions. The research was carried out in off-season between February and June 2015, in Rio Verde, Goiás (Brazil). In the experimental period the rainfall was 865 mm and the average temperature of 23.7°C. Two trials were performed. The first had corn rows spaced in 1 m with a row of soybeans in the interrow. The second had double corn rows interspersed with one row of soybeans, all spaced in 0.50 m. In both trials, we used a randomized block design, in a 2x2+3 factorial scheme, with four replications. Primary factor consisted of two types of pre-sowing fertilization: one only in corn rows and the other over the total area. The secondary factor corresponded to two soybean varieties: medium and late cycle variety. In addition, three control treatments were made: one of corn and two of soybeans. The corn cutoff point was at the hard farinaceous stage when the milk line reaches half the grain, and in the sole crop soybean at the R5.5 final phase of grain filling. Silage was stored in PVC experimental silos for 60 days. The intercropped treatments, in both spatial arrangements, promoted increases in neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber contents. Soybean monoculture presented high values of crude protein and ethereal extract. There were higher effluent losses in medium-cycle soybean variety silage when it was grown in single cropping. However, the lowest effluent losses were recorded for silages of medium-cycle soybean intercropped under a double row pre-sowing corn fertilization system. The soybeans mixed silages produced together with corn under off-season conditions did not yield satisfactory results.

The use of bacterial additives in forage silages with low content of dry matter prevents undesirable fermentation and reduces losses by gases (PG) and effluents (PE) during the ensiling process. This study aimed to evaluate the fermentation parameters, chemical composition and in vitro digestibility of silage of Urochloa brizantha cv. Xaraés produced with bacterial additive. The inoculant contained the following strains: Propionibacterium acidipropionici + Lactobacillus plantarum; Lactobacillus buchnari; Propionibacterium acipropionici + commercial enzymes and Lactobacillus plantarum and Pediococcus pentosaccus, at 0, 25, 50, 75, 100, and 125% of the recommended level for sugarcane (2 g ton-1). The experiment was a completely randomized design with four replications, and six levels of inoculant (0, 25, 50, 75, 100, and 125%). There was a quadratic relationship between the inoculant addition and the levels of pH, PE, DMIVD, NDF, ADF and LIG of the silage. PG and MM increased linearly with the addition of inoculant. The N-NH 3 , DM, CP, CEL, HEM and EE were not affected by the inoculant. Bacterial additive at 50% provided increased DMIVD. Appropriate values were found for pH and NH 3 .