Seasonal Herbage Accumulation and Nutritive Value of Irrigated ‘Tifton 85’, Jiggs, and Vaquero Bermudagrasses in Response to Harvest Frequency

Abstract

Grasses within the Cynodon genus are widely used perennial forages, and ‘Tifton 85’ (Cynodon spp.) is one of the most popular commercial cultivars. Jiggs and Vaquero are new C. dactylon (L.) Pers. grasses, but there is little information comparing their performance with Tifton 85 under tropical conditions. The objectives were to describe and explain variation in seasonal herbage accumulation (HA) and nutritive value of irrigated Tifton 85, Jiggs, and Vaquero bermudagrasses in response to harvest frequency (14, 28, and 42 d). The trial was performed for 2 yr in Piracicaba, Brazil, on a Kandiudalfic Eutrudox soil. In the warm season, total HA of Jiggs was similar to Tifton 85, and both were more productive than Vaquero. Under the 42‐d frequency, Jiggs had greater annual HA than the other grasses (28.5 vs. 23.7 and 20.1 Mg ha−1, for Tifton 85 and Vaquero, respectively), but when harvested every 28 d, Tifton 85 and Jiggs HA were similar (18.5 Mg ha−1). For the 42‐d harvest interval in the cool season, Jiggs had the greatest HA (10.2 Mg ha−1). Less frequent harvests in both seasons resulted in greater HA. Tifton 85 had a greater proportion of leaves than Jiggs and greater in vitro digestible organic matter (IVDOM) than the other grasses in the warm season. Considering these responses, harvest frequency of Jiggs and Tifton 85 should be ∼28 d in the warm season, while that of Vaquero should be ∼42 d. No single harvest management will be appropriate for all Cynodon grasses.

Yearling Cattle Performance on Continuously Stocked ‘Tifton 85’ and ‘Florakirk’ Bermudagrass Pastures

“…Tifton 85 has greater digestibility than several bermudagrasses, including Tifton 78 , Coastal (Mandebvu et al, 1999b;Corriher et al, 2007), 'Alicia' (Scaglia and Boland, 2014), and Jiggs and 'Vaquero' (Silva et al, 2015). Florakirk IVDOM was less than that of Tifton 85 (523 vs. 563 g kg −1 , respectively).…”

“…The composite sample from each pasture Mislevy et al, 2008;Baseggio et al, 2015;Silva et al, 2015). The composite sample from each pasture Mislevy et al, 2008;Baseggio et al, 2015;Silva et al, 2015).…”

Evapotranspiration Partition and Crop Coefficients of Tifton 85 Bermudagrass as Affected by the Frequency of Cuttings. Application of the FAO56 Dual Kc Model

“…In agreement with information relative to cuttings of Tifton 85 [2,3], the stubble height (SH) of 0.15 m was adopted for all cuttings. The latter were executed with an electric lawnmower with adjusted cutting height, which provided for a precise SH.…”

“…Grassland is the dominant vegetation and livestock production is a main economic activity in the area, but large areas have been converted into cropland, mainly for soybean production, thus suppressing the native grass vegetation [1]. Therefore, the sustainability of this biome for livestock production requires the planting of new and highly productive grasses such as the Tifton 85 bermudagrass [2,3], recently introduced in the region. Assessing grass evapotranspiration and water requirements as influenced by the frequency of cuttings is required to support an upgraded management of those grasslands.…”

“…However, such ET studies are lacking in southern Brazil and for Tifton 85 bermudagrass. ET research aiming at improved farm water management generally uses the grass reference ET (ET o ) proposed in the Food and Agriculture Organization guidelines for computing crop water requirements (FAO56) [17]; nevertheless, recent studies [3,18] relative to irrigated bermudagrass yields used the climatic potential ET equation of Thornthwaite [19], developed in 1948.…”