The nutritional value of tropical legume forages fed to ruminants as affected by their growth habit and fed form: A systematic review

Castro-Montoya, J.; Dickhoefer, Uta

doi:10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2020.114641

Cited by 43 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…The importance of tropical legume pastures to improve beef production has long been established [ 10 , 11 , 12 ]. The integration of legumes into grass pastures increases protein and digestible energy intake resulting in improved cattle growth rate and reduced age at slaughter [ 9 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Growth Performance and Plasma Metabolites of Grazing Beef Cattle Backgrounded on Buffel or Buffel-Desmanthus Mixed Pastures

Mwangi

Gardiner

Walker

et al. 2021

Animals

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Dietary crude protein and dry matter digestibility are among the major factors limiting feed intake and weight gain of cattle grazing native and improved pastures in the subtropics of Northern Australia during the dry season. Incorporating a suitable legume into grasses improves pasture quality and cattle weight gain, but only a limited number of legume pastures can establish and persist in cracking clay soils. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of Desmanthus inclusion in buffel grass (Cenchrus ciliaris) pastures on the plasma metabolite profile and growth performance of grazing beef cattle during the dry season. We hypothesised that backgrounding steers on buffel grass-Desmanthus mixed pastures would elicit significant changes in plasma glucose, bilirubin, creatinine, non-esterified fatty acids and β-hydroxybutyrate, resulting in higher liveweight gains than in steers on buffel grass only pastures. Four hundred tropical composite steers were assigned to buffel grass only (n = 200) or buffel grass oversown with Desmanthus (11.5% initial sward dry matter) pastures (n = 200) and grazed for 147 days during the dry season. Desmanthus accounted for 6.2% sward dry matter at the end of grazing period. Plasma metabolites results showed that changes in β-hydroxybutyrate, creatinine, bilirubin, glucose and non-esterified fatty acids were within the expected normal range for all the steers, indicating that with or without Desmanthus inclusion in the diet of grazing steers, animal health status was not compromised. It was also evident that Desmanthus inclusion in buffel grass pastures had no impact on the plasma metabolite profile, liveweight and daily weight gain of grazing steers. Therefore, our tested hypothesis of higher changes in plasma metabolite profile and higher liveweight gains due to backgrounding on low-level buffel grass-Desmanthus mixed pastures does not hold.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Growth Performance and Plasma Metabolites of Grazing Beef Cattle Backgrounded on Buffel or Buffel-Desmanthus Mixed Pastures

Mwangi

Gardiner

Walker

et al. 2021

Animals

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“…A recent review [ 66 ] emphasizes that studies with tropical legumes are scarce regarding physical and chemical composition, and that these parameters are not considered as explanatory variables for animal responses. Therefore, the data from our study provided a clear relationship to the height of a shrubby tropical legume grazed by lambs.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Adjusting the legume pasture height, and indirectly its chemical composition (TDN and ADF), much as with grass canopy, influences lamb grazing time. Tropical legumes have been used as an important source of protein in the production of ruminants [ 66 , 67 ]; however, ideal sward management for lamb production on tropical pastures needs to be refined. Little is known about the correct way to manage tropical legumes to maximize sheep production in pastoral systems [ 67 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

et al. 2021

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Tropical pasture canopy characteristics can alter lamb ingestive behavior. Our study evaluated the ingestive behavior of young lambs in different tropical pastures to identify which variables interfere in their grazing activity. Two years of study were carried out with 54 weaned lambs distributed in three different pasture canopies: 1) monoculture of an upright grass, guinea grass (Panicum maximum; GG); 2) monoculture of a shrubby legume pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan; PP) and 3) contiguous paddock with half GG and half PP (GP). The experiment was set out in a randomized complete block design (3 blocks). Lamb ingestive behavior was observed from sunrise to sunset with records every 5 minutes. To identify the main variables that affected lamb grazing activity, a multivariate analysis of the Decision Tree was performed. Our results showed that there was no difference in the ingestive behavior parameters of young lambs in different canopies (P > 0.05). There was interaction among the canopies and the experimental periods for the variables idleness time and biting rate (P ≤ 0.05). Lambs in all canopies showed more idleness time in the first evaluation period. Lambs in canopies containing grass (GG and GP) exhibited greater bites per minute throughout the experimental period. Lamb grazing time increased 40% as experimental period progressed and plants matured. The Decision Tree identified leaf:stem ratio as the variable that most influenced lamb grazing time in GG and GP canopies while in the PP, grazing time was directly related to canopy height. The behavior of young lambs on tropical pasture is variable as there is a change in the behavioral response to canopy characteristics over time. In addition, the grazing time of these animals can be estimated by means of variables related to canopy structural characteristics (leaf:stem ratio and height) together with chemical variables.

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“…Adjusting the legume pasture height, and indirectly its chemical composition (TDN and ADF), much as with grass swards, influence lamb grazing time. Tropical legumes have been used as an important source of protein in the production of ruminants [66, 67], however, ideal sward management for lamb production needs to be refined. Little is known about the correct way to make tropical legumes available to sheep in pastoral systems [67].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As forage ADF content increases, the number of chews per bolus rises, increasing the manipulation for swallowing process and, consequently the time animals spend grazing. A recent review [66] emphasizes that studies with tropical legumes are scarce regarding physical and chemical composition, and that these parameters are not considered as explanatory variables for animal responses. Therefore, the data from our study provide a clear relationship to the height of a shrubby tropical legume grazed by lambs.…”

Section: Decision Tree Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Influence of tropical pastures on grazing behavior parameters of young lambs

Poli

Hampel

et al. 2020

Preprint

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Tropical sward characteristics can alter lamb ingestive behavior. Our study evaluated the ingestive behavior of young lambs in different tropical pastures to identify which variables interfere in their grazing activity. Two years of study were carried out with 54 weaned lambs distributed in three different swards: 1) monoculture of a upright grass, guinea grass (Panicum maximum; GG); 2) monoculture of a shrubby legume pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan; PP) and 3) contiguous areas with half the paddock with GG and half with PP (GP). The experiment was set out in a randomized complete block design. Lamb ingestive behavior was observed from sunrise to sunset with records every 5 minutes. To identify the main variables that affected with the lamb grazing activity, a multivariate analysis of the Decision Tree was performed. Our results showed that there was no difference in the ingestive behavior parameters of young lambs in different swards (P > 0.05). There was interaction among the swards and the experimental periods for the variables idleness time and biting rate (P ≤ 0.05). Grazing time of the animals increased 40% with experimental period progression. The Decision Tree identified leaf:stem ratio as the variable that most influenced lamb grazing time in GG and GP swards while in the PP sward grazing time was directly related to the pasture height. The behavior of young lambs on tropical pasture is variable as there is a change in the behavioral response over time. In addition, the grazing time of these animals can be estimated by means of variables related to pasture structural characteristics (leaf:stem ratio and height) together with chemical variables.

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The nutritional value of tropical legume forages fed to ruminants as affected by their growth habit and fed form: A systematic review

Cited by 43 publications

References 39 publications

Growth Performance and Plasma Metabolites of Grazing Beef Cattle Backgrounded on Buffel or Buffel-Desmanthus Mixed Pastures

Growth Performance and Plasma Metabolites of Grazing Beef Cattle Backgrounded on Buffel or Buffel-Desmanthus Mixed Pastures

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

Influence of tropical pastures on grazing behavior parameters of young lambs

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