Influence of tropical upright pasture structural and chemical characteristics on lamb grazing time

Tontini, Jalise Fabíola; Poli, César Henrique Espírito Candal; Hampel, Viviane da Silva; Farias, Mariana de Souza; Fajardo, Neuza Maria Campos; Silva, Joseane Anjos da; Farinatti, L. H. E.; Muir, James P.

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0242642

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 45 publications

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“…Among these factors are the production system, which determines how food is made available, and the different environmental characteristics that modulate animal response. In addition, knowledge of ingestive behavior is an important tool to guide management practices that enable better animal performance (Tontini et al, 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Influence of pasture, silvopastoral, and feedlot production systems and the recording interval of behavioral activities on the ingestive behavior of lambs

Bettencourt

Silva

Menezes

et al. 2022

Semina: Ciênc. Agrár.

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The evaluation of the ingestive behavior of ruminant animals is important to identify the animal response to the particularities of the different production systems. However, the five-minute evaluation technique requires personnel, making it difficult to adhere to farms and research in more complex pastoral systems. Thus, this study objected to evaluating the influence of pasture, silvopastoral, and feedlot production systems on the ingestive behavior of lambs and to defining the behavior recording interval in each of the systems. Twenty-four lambs were distributed in an experimental design in split plots. The plots were the production systems (pasture without shading - PS, silvopastoral - SS, and feedlot systems - FS) and the subplots were the behavior observation intervals (5, 10, 15, and 20 min.). In the pasture without shading and silvopastoral systems, the lambs were kept on Aruana grass (Megathyrsus maximus) pasture and supplemented with concentrate at 1.5% of body weight per day, on a dry matter (DM) basis. In the feedlot system, the lambs received a diet consisting of 200 g kg DM-1 of annual ryegrass hay (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) and 800 g kg DM-1 of concentrate. There was no interaction (P > 0.05) between the production system and the recording interval of behavioral activities. The time spent on food intake was higher (P < 0.05) in the pasture (533 min d-1) and silvopastoral (513 min d-1) systems than in the feedlot (225 min d-1). In contrast, for water intake, time was higher (P < 0.05) in the feedlot (21 min d-1) and lower in the silvopastoral system (5 min d-1). There was no difference (P > 0.05) between the systems for rumination and idle activities, of which daily averages were 378 and 587 min d-1, respectively. There was also no difference (P > 0.05) between the observation intervals for feed, water, rumination, and idleness activities. Lambs in pasture-based systems spend more time feeding, and feedlot lambs spend more time ingesting water. Feedlot lambs ruminate as much as grazing animals when fed hay, even though hay represents only 20% of the total diet. The recording interval of behavioral activities in these production systems can be up to 20 minutes.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Influence of pasture, silvopastoral, and feedlot production systems and the recording interval of behavioral activities on the ingestive behavior of lambs

Bettencourt

Silva

Menezes

et al. 2022

Semina: Ciênc. Agrár.

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Sheep performance and forage quality in grass-legume pastures with different canopy heights

Batista,

Barbosa,

Penteado

et al. 2024

Anim. Prod. Sci.

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Context Canopy height is an important grazing management tool in grass and multispecies pastures. Aim To evaluate the effect of different canopy heights on the nutritional value of forage and animal productivity in pastures formed by Aruana guineagrass (Megathyrsus maximus cv. Aruana) combined legumes [Macrotyloma (Macrotyloma axillare), Calopo (Calopogonium mucunoides) and Stylo (Stylosanthes macrocephala + Stylosanthes caweedstata)] managed under continuous stocking with sheep. Methods The treatments consisted of four forage canopy heights (15, 30, 45 and 60 cm) in a randomised block design with four replicates, totalling 16 experimental units (paddocks). The following parameters were assessed: total herbage mass, proportion of botanical and morphological components in samples obtained by grazing simulation, nutritional value and digestibility of forage, animal performance, stocking rate, and animal productivity. Key results Herbage mass was higher in taller pastures (45–60 cm; P < 0.0001). The proportion of legumes in herbage mass increased throughout the experimental period (P < 0.0001), and the highest proportion of legumes in the grazing simulation was observed in autumn (P < 0.0001). Pastures measuring 15 cm had a higher crude protein content (P < 0.0001), but the average daily weight gain was higher (P = 0.0404) in pastures maintained at 30 and 45 cm (100.3 and 87.4 ± 11.44 g/animal day−1, respectively). Stocking rate (P < 0.0001) and animal productivity (P = 0.0267) were lower in 60-cm pastures. Conclusion Multispecies pastures of Aruana guineagrass combined with Macrotyloma, Calopo and Stylo forage legumes should be managed at 15–45 cm under continuous stocking. Implications This study provides an option for combining forage species in intercropped tropical pastures, and indicates a range of pasture heights that will ensure animal productivity and pasture sustainability.

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Physical and biochemical characteristics of tropical grass and legume pastures grazed by lambs

Hampel,

Poli,

Tontini

et al. 2024

Grassland Science

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Large areas of tropical grass pastures are not grazed by lambs because of the difficulties in managing high growth rate swards with high selective animals. The objective of this study was to evaluate the physical and biochemical characteristics of tropical pastures offered to lambs in continuous grazing. An upright grass and a shrub legume were set out in three pasture types and grazed by lambs: (1) aruana grass monoculture (AG—Panicum maximum Jacq. cv. IZ‐5), (2) pigeon pea monoculture (PP—Cajanus cajan [L.] Millsp. cv. Anão) and (3) contiguous swards (CS), half of the paddock with AG (CSAG) and half with PP (CSPP). The pastures were evaluated for structural characteristics, production, nutritional composition and antioxidant concentrations in four periods over 92 days of continuous grazing by lambs. Hand plucking samples, similar to animal diet, were collected for chemical analysis. Regarding height, the PP legume monoculture after 42 days of grazing had uncontrollable growth by the lambs, reaching 1.2 m in height. This same legume but as a CS beside AG (CSPP) was maintained at a lower and similar height throughout the experimental periods. In general, the leaf:stem ratio of the different pastures decreased over the experimental periods from 0.7 to 0.2. In most periods, the CS showed intermediary nutritional quality compared to AG and PP. The alpha‐tocopherol content was similar among swards, with an average of 137.2 ± 13.67 mg/kg of green matter (p > .05). Pigeon pea showed the highest levels of total tannin and condensed tannin at 63 and 92 days (p < .05). The use of tropical grass together with a legume provides a better physical structure of the pigeon pea for grazing lambs than when monoculture of this species.

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Influence of tropical upright pasture structural and chemical characteristics on lamb grazing time

Cited by 3 publications

References 45 publications

Influence of pasture, silvopastoral, and feedlot production systems and the recording interval of behavioral activities on the ingestive behavior of lambs

Influence of pasture, silvopastoral, and feedlot production systems and the recording interval of behavioral activities on the ingestive behavior of lambs

Sheep performance and forage quality in grass-legume pastures with different canopy heights

Physical and biochemical characteristics of tropical grass and legume pastures grazed by lambs

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