ABSTRACT This study was conducted to identify the key volatile compounds that characterize whether silage has deteriorated and to investigate the intrinsic link between the key compounds and silage odor. First, silages with different aerobic exposure durations were sampled, and sensory evaluation integrating aerobic stability monitoring was used to distinguish whether the silage had deteriorated. Subsequently, headspace solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS) was utilized to determine the relative content of the compounds. Using the relative content of the compounds […]

ABSTRACT The goal of our study was to evaluate the nutritional potential of dented corn hybrids for silage production. We performed a two-location trial in which 19 dented corn hybrids and five corn controls grew in four randomized blocks within two experimental areas located in the Northern (Campos dos Goytacazes) and Northwestern (Itaocara) Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil. We recorded yields of fresh and dry forage matter and yields of fresh and dry grain matter, as well as chemical composition […]

This trial was conducted aiming to evaluate the effects of Brachiaria brizantha vegetative seed harvest residues hay treated with anhydrous ammonia (NH3) or urea, and protein sources on the steers performance, and carcass quality. Twenty-four male beef cattle were (12 F1 Nellore X Aberdeen Angus and 12 F1 Nellore X Red Angus), distributed in four treatments, with six replications. Animal crossbreed type and initial body weight were considered blocks. The diets were: Untreated hay supplemented with non-protein nitrogen (UHNPN); untreated […]

The research was carried out aiming to evaluate the influence of irrigation on total dry matter (TDMA) and green dry matter availability (GDMA) and on residual dry matter (RDM), forage height, forage density (FD), leaf percentage and chemical composition of leaf blades of the Napier grass and Mombaça grass. The treatments were the combinations of the two grasses and two irrigation levels (presence and absence). The irrigation supplied the previous ten-year mean evapotranspiration (ET0). It was adopted the rotational grazing, […]

One experiment was run to study the chemical composition, in vitro dry matter digestibility and the dry matter mass of elephantgrass pasture cv. Napier. Estimates of forage mass were accomplished monthly according to the hand plucking technique with samples being taken one day before the cows were turned into the paddocks. Forage samples were taken observing the stubble height of the pasture in the former grazing cycle. Six samples per treatment were collected from high, medium and low representative tuffs […]

With the purpose of re-evaluating seventeen pigeon-pea lines originated from accessions previously selected for favorable agronomic characteristics, experiments were installed in five locations of the State of São Paulo. The confirmation of those characteristics was necessary because the original accessions presented various degrees of mechanical mixtures and segregation and were submitted to purification process in pollination controlled conditions. In those trials, the lines were cut in several occasions to evaluate forage yield. Each time, it was determined the number of […]

The objective of this work was to study the carcass and meat characteristics of Hereford steers, finished in feedlot for 112 days and fed with 33% concentrate and 67% chopped sugar cane or corn silage diets, containing 12% of crude protein. Twelve steers, with 20 months of age, were used. Slaughter weight, hot carcass weight and cold carcass weight were higher for steers fed corn silage, being, respectively, 446, 230 and 227 kg vs 421, 211 and 208 kg, in […]

The research was conducted during the 1994/95 and 1995/96 growing seasons (Oct./Apr.), at the Estação Experimental de Ituporanga/EPAGRI – SC, with the objective to determine the potential of animal production and pasture responses as dry matter (DM) accumulation rate and quality of forage and profile structure of a pasture of `Mott’ dwarf elephantgrass (MDE) under four levels of forage on offer (FO). The actual levels of FO were 3.8 7.5; 10.2 and 14.0 kg green leaf lamina DM (GLLDM) /100 […]