Cutting ages of elephant grass for chopped hay production1

Abstract

With the advancement of the cutting age, there is an increase in the forage yield of elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum), but there is also a reduction of the protein levels and digestibility of this forage. This study aimed to identify the ideal cutting age of elephant grass forage (BRS Canará cultivar) to chopped hay production. The experimental design was a randomized block, with five treatments (42, 60, 76, 91 and 105 days of growing) and four replicates. Forage agronomical, morphological and chemical characteristics were evaluated. A linear positive effect of the cutting age was observed on plant height, senescent material and yield of the chopped hay. The leaf percentage and leaf:stem ratio were reduced by the advance in the cutting age. There was also a linear positive effect of the cutting ages on indigestible neutral detergent fiber, neutral detergent fiber corrected for ash and protein and neutral detergent insoluble protein, with increases of 17.13 %, 16.63 % and 20.66 %, respectively. The contents of ashes, crude protein, total digestible nutrients and net lactation energy were reduced with the advance in the forage age. From 76 days, the ashes contents reached values below 9.29 % and the crude protein below 7.16 %. In the same cutting age, the chopped hay yield was 12.91 t ha-1. To improve the hay quality and production, the BRS Canará cultivar must be harvest between 60 and 76 days, when the plants are with 1.20-1.50 m of height, leaf:stem ratio of 0.55-0.44, crude protein of 8.29-7.16 % and indigestible neutral detergent fiber of 26.21-29.06 %.

Chemical composition and fatty acid profile of BRS Capiaçu ensiled at different regrowth ages

“…In the Mata Atlântica Biome of Brazil, depending on the form of use (chopped grass or silage), BRS Capiaçu is recommended for harvesting and supplying to dairy cattle at 50 to 110 days of regrowth (Pereira et al, 2016a). In response to the advance in the regrowth age, there are intense physiological, morphological of elephant grass resulting from the increase in regrowth age (Ferreira, Abreu, Martinez, Braz, & Ferreira, 2018;Maranhão et al, 2018). These aspects contribute to losses in the forage nutritional quality, which, in the present study, were mainly related to the decrease in the CP content, increases in the NDF, lignin and ADF levels and, consequently, reduction in IVDMD with the advance of regrowth age (Table 1; Figures 2a, 2b, 2e and 2f).…”

Produção e valor nutritivo de forragem de cultivares de capim-elefante em diferentes períodos de rebrotação

“…Santos, Silva e Queiroz Filho (2001) ao avaliarem a PMS de capim elefante Roxo, relataram valores de 19,70 t ha -1 para seca e 17,44 t ha -1 para as águas com períodos de rebortação equivalentes a 90 e 80 dias respectivamente, sendo superiores ao do presente estudo. Ferreira et al (2018) analisando idade de corte da cultivar BRS Canará com cortes de resíduo de 0,10 m do solo, obtiveram produtividades de feno picado na época das águas de 4,77, 9,57 e 12,91 t ha -1 aos 42, 60 e 76 dias, respectivamente, ficando um pouco abaixo do presente estudo (13,89 t ha -1 , média de 3 cortes). Rassini (2004), avaliando o período de estacionalidade de produção de pastagens irrigadas, verificou que a irrigação proporcionou aumento no rendimento de MS, tendo o capim elefante se sobressaído aos demais, com 46,1 t ha -1 em uma média de 30 a 45 dias e as demais forrageiras variou de 16,1 a 29,2 t ha -1 .…”

Effect of Elephant Grass Genotypes to Bioenergy Production

“…As a strategy for the reduction of post-burning residues and better quality of biomass, the productive cycle of the energy crop is very important because gains are obtained as increased dry matter yield and percentage of fibers and reduction of minerals. [24], evaluating the yield of elephant grass BRS Canará to hay production at harvest intervals of 42, 60, 76, 91 and 105 days in the rainy season, verified an increase in dry matter yield and reduction in mineral matter, according to the increase in age, which consequently will have a direct influence on the calorific value of the biomass.…”