This research was carried out to evaluate the quality of the roughage produced by hydroponics. Rice hulls and chopped elephantgrass were used as substrates for corn cultivation, put on plastic canvas. Corn seeding density was 2.5 kg of seed/m2. A randomized experimental design was used, with seven replications. Plot utile area measured 0.5 m x 0.5 m. Fertiirrigation was used from the 3rd to the 14th day after seeding. Harvest occurred at the 14th day and fresh forage productivity was […]

The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the effect of corn grain maturity and air exposure time prior to ensiling on the carbohydrate concentration of corn silage from corn crop planted late in the season. A complete randomized design was used with a 2 x 4 factorial arrangement, testing two stages of maturity at harvest (MK – milky kernel and MDK – ½ milky and ½ dough kernel) of maize crops and four air exposure time prior to ensiling: […]

A field trial was carried out to evaluate the establishment methods (Furrow only: row 1,5 and 1,0 m apart at one time; 1.5 and 1.0 at two and three times, respectively; Plowing and horrowing: row 1,0 apart), limestone (25, 50, 75 e 100% of necessity of limestone, obtained by Al, Ca e Mg exchangeable), gypsum (0, 230, 940, 1.880 e 2.820 kg/ha) and P2O5 (50, 100, 150, 200 e 250 kg/ha) on minerals concentration (P, K, Ca, Mg e S); […]

The in vitro/gas dry matter (DM) digestibility of four roughages, mixed or not, in proportion of 50% in the DM were evaluated. Samples of 100 mg by treatment, in triplicate, in 48 h of digestion were incubated. The DM digestibilities and gas production were: sugar cane = 60.6%, 17.3 mL; sugar cane + corn silage = 63.9%, 19.6 mL; sugar cane + elephantgrass of 60 days = 60.5%, 16.9 mL; sugar cane + elephantgrass of 180 days = 48.6%, 14.1 […]

The digestibilities of dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), ether extract (EE), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), gross energy (GE) and total digestible nutrients (TDN) were determined by using four internal markers (acid detergent fiber – ADF and lignin and acid insoluble ash – AIA). The three first markers were submitted to in vitro disappearance for three and six days and the results were compared with data determined by total feces collection. The nutrient digestibility estimated by NDF, ADF and lignin […]

This assay was conducted with sheep to evaluate in vivo digestibility of the dry matter and fiber fraction of broiler litters based on wood scraps, elephant grass Napier, corncob with husks and the aerial part of cassava. A completely randomized blocks experimental design with four treatments and five blocks with four sheep, considering the live weight of the animals, were used. Twenty Morada Nova sheep, white variety, with 18 months of age and live weight from 17.2 to 27.3 kg […]