Paiaguas palisadegrass was released in order to meet the requirements of the different production systems. However, little is known about the quality of the forage. The goal of this study was to evaluate the protein and carbohydrate fractionation of the Paiaguas palisadegrass after intercropping with grain sorghum in the pasture recovery, through the integration of crop and livestock production. The experiment was conducted in the municipality of Rio Verde, State of Goias. The experimental design was a randomized complete block design with four replications. The treatments were composed of the following forage systems: Paiaguas palisadegrass in monocropped, sorghum intercropped with Paiaguas palisadegrass in the row, sorghum intercropped with Paiaguas palisadegrass in the interrow, and sorghum intercropped with oversown Paiaguas palisadegrass. The evaluations were carried out in the four climatic seasons of the year (winter, spring, summer, and fall) in the same plots, over a period of one year, in 16 paddocks under continuous stocking system. The results showed that forage systems did not influence protein and carbohydrate fractionation. The winter season presented higher values of protein and carbohydrate fractionation, negatively affecting the animal performance.

As part of the search for sustainability in production systems, systems of annual crops intercropped with tropical forage plants have recently been used for silage production. Therefore, in the present study we aimed to evaluate the dry matter yield, fermentative parameters and nutritional value of the silage of sorghum intercropped with Paiaguas palisadegrass in different forage systems and maturity stages in a crop-livestock integration system. The experiment was conducted at the Goiano Federal Institute (Instituto Federal Goiano), Rio Verde Campus, Goiás, Brazil, in a completely randomised design with four replications in a 5 × 3 factorial arrangement with five forage systems (monocropped sorghum, monocropped Paiaguas palisadegrass, sorghum row intercropped with Paiaguas palisadegrass, sorghum inter-row intercropped with Paiaguas palisadegrass and sorghum oversown and intercropped with Paiaguas palisadegrass) and three maturity stages of the sorghum (milky, soft dough and hard dough). The results show that for all sowing methods, the silages of the intercropping systems harvested in the hard-dough stage provide a higher yield per area than did the monocropped sorghum and Paiaguas palisadegrass. The intercropping of sorghum with Paiaguas palisadegrass in crop-livestock integration systems could become an important option for the production of silage because intercropping minimises the inconveniences resulting from the fermentation process of the silage of monocropped grasses and improves the quality of the silage. These findings show this intercropping method to be advantageous strategy for the production of supplemental roughage in addition to contributing to the formation of pasture after the crops have been harvested for ensiling.

Jiggs bermudagrass has presented competitive production potential over other forages. However, there is a lack of information about the nutritional value of this forage with important relevance in ruminant nutrition. This study aimed to evaluate the protein and carbohydrate fractionation of Jiggs bermudagrass in different seasons of the year under intermittent grazing by Holstein cows. The experiment was conducted during one year in a completely randomized design with nine replications and treatments consisted of the effect of four seasons: fall, winter, spring and summer. The results showed that there were seasonal variations in the fractions of proteins and carbohydrate, with the exception of the protein fraction B3. The better climatic conditions in spring and summer contributed to an increase in the protein fraction A and carbohydrate A+B1. The winter had a greater fraction C of protein and carbohydrate, reflecting the nutritive value of the forage. The use of irrigation during fall and winter had a positive effect on nitrogen fractions B1 and B2 and on non-fiber carbohydrates.

The use of pasture is the most economical alternative for feeding ruminants. However, most pastures in Central Brazil are experiencing some degree of degradation. Crop-livestock integration has been shown to be a sustainable and viable alternative for the recovery of these degraded areas. The objective of this study was to evaluate the morphogenic and structural characteristics of Paiaguas palisadegrass and to determine the population dynamics and the survival rate of the tillers, through a stability diagram of the grass, after intercropping with sorghum for the recovery of pastures in different, integrated, crop-livestock forage systems. The experimental design was a randomized block design, with four replications. The treatments were composed of four forage systems: Paiaguas palisadegrass monoculture, sorghum intercropped with Paiaguas palisadegrass in the row, sorghum intercropped with Paiaguas palisadegrass in the interrow, and sorghum intercropped with oversown Paiaguas palisadegrass. The evaluations were performed in the four climatic seasons of the year (winter, spring, summer, and fall) in the same plots during the period of one year in 16 1042 m2 enclosures under a continuous stocking system. No effect was observed for the forage systems and seasons of the year on the leaf elongation rate, leaf senescence rate, and leaf life span. The development of Paiaguas palisadegrass was reduced in the winter relative to the other seasons of the year. However, it presented satisfactory production during this period despite the low rainfall. The results showed that the Paiaguas palisadegrass showed satisfactory production in all forage systems and may be indicated for intercropping with sorghum to promote the recovery and formation of pastures. The use of crop-livestock integration systems is an efficient cultivation technique for the recovery and formation of low-cost pastures to meet the demands of animal production.