A Comparison of Pearl Millet and Sorghum–Sudangrass Pastures during the Frost-Prone Autumn for Growing Beef Cattle in Semiarid Region

Abstract

Sorghum–sudangrass (Sorghum bicolor × S. sudanense (Piper) Stapf.) and pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.) provide adequate nutritive value for growing beef cattle; however, unlike pearl millet, sorghum–sudangrass produces hydrocyanic acid (which is toxic to livestock) when frosted. Forage yield, nutritive value, and weight gain of growing cattle grazing sorghum–sudangrass and pearl millet were compared during the frost-prone autumns of 2013 and 2014, at New Mexico State University’s Rex E. Kirksey Agricultural Science Center in Tucumcari, NM USA, in randomized complete block designs each year with two replicates. No differences existed between pearl millet and sorghum–sudangrass forage yield, although there was a year–forage interaction for fiber-based nutritive value components because of maturity differences across years between the forages when freeze-killed. Pearl millet allowed for extending grazing of available forage for an additional 14 and 24 d in 2013 and 2014, respectively, compared to sorghum–sudangrass during the frost-prone autumn periods. During that period, when sorghum forages produce potentially toxic levels of hydrocyanic acid, animals grazing pearl millet accumulated an additional average of 94.9 kg live-weight gain ha−1 (p < 0.001). These factors afford producers an opportunity to increase returns on the similar investments of establishing and managing warm-season annual forage crops each year, and allow more time to stockpile cool-season perennial and annual forages for winter and early spring grazing, or to reduce hay feeding.

Pearl Millet-Cowpea Forage Mixture Planting Arrangement Influences Mixture Yield and Nutritive Value in Semiarid Regions

“…They were also greater than those measured by Machicek et al [2] for PG harvested 90 DAP and by Oskey et al [18] for a first harvest monoculture PG at early heading. The PG DM yields measured in this study as monoculture and in mixtures (Table 3) were slightly greater than those for monoculture PG reported by others [9,16]. Yields reported by [9] for PG were planted later than the present study and harvested at the season's end about 4 months after planting.…”

“…Br.) [3,[6][7][8][9][10]. Both species are well adapted to semiarid regions and require less water than maize (Zea mays), which is generally grown for silage [3,7,11].…”

“…The nutritive value of SxS and PG is generally similar [2,13], although PG can have greater crude protein (CP) [7] and provides greater animal gains than SxS [9]. Nitrogen is required by WSAG to maximize productivity and nutritive value, particularly CP.…”

A Comparison of Native Grass and Triticale Pastures during Late Winter for Growing Cattle in Semiarid, Subtropical Regions

“…Nevertheless, winter cereals can still provide valuable forage from Dec-Feb to fill the gap between autumn and spring [26]. Lauriault et al [30] suggested that using warm-season annual grass forages, such as pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.…”

Understanding Heterosis, Genetic Effects, and Genome Wide Associations for Forage Quantity and Quality Traits in Multi-Cut Pearl Millet

“…Similarly, the cows fed with pearl millet silage consumed more dry matter than those fed with sorghum silage or tropical corn silage ( Amer and Mustafa, 2010 ). Most recently, Lauriault et al (2021) observed that both pearl millet and sorghum-sudangrass produced equal dry matter yield at single cut forage, and the pearl millet crop provided greater average daily gains than sorghum–sudangrass in beef when both have the same levels of nutritive value. In another livestock performance study by Vinutha et al (2021) , Nellore ram lambs fed with pearl millet silage showed increased digestibility than those fed with sorghum silage harvested at 76 days after sowing.…”