ABSTRACT This study aimed to isolate and identify endophytic fungi from the forage grass P. maximum and evaluate their ability to inhibit the growth of plant pathogenic fungi. One sample from P. purpureum grass was also included. Surface disinfected stem fragments were used for endophytic fungal isolation. One hundred and twenty-six endophytic fungi were isolated, of which 118 were from P. maximum and eight from P. purpureum. Morphological characteristics and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and 18S (NS) sequence comparisons identified […]

ABSTRACT The objective of this research was to evaluate the productive capacity of orchard grass alone and associated with perennial ryegrass and white clover sown at different proportions. Treatments consisted of the following associations and monoculture: 100-00-00, 70-20-10, 50-00-50, 40-40-20, 40-20-40, 20-70-10, 20-40-40, and 00-50-50% of orchard grass, perennial ryegrass, and white clover, respectively. The eight treatments were randomly distributed into 24 experimental plots of 9 × 8 m according to a completely randomized block design with three replicates. On […]

In the early 1970’s research was initiated by the cooperative USDA-ARS and University of Nebraska grass breeding program to develop perennial grasses adapted to the mid-continental USA with improved forage quality. The initial breeding and animal evaluation work focused on switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) but has since expanded to several other warm-and cool-season perennial grasses. The in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) test was selected as the measure of forage quality that was used in the breeding work because of its […]

This work was carried out to evaluate the fractions of carbohydrates and estimate the apparent digestibility of these nutrients in two digestion assays with horses. In assay 1, five horses were allotted to a complete randomized blocks design and treatments were seven forages hays, alfalfa (Medicago sativa), peanut forage (Arachis pintoi), desmodio (Desmodium ovalifolium), pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan), lime-yellow pea (Macrotyloma axillare), stylo (Stylosanthes guianensis) e coastcross (Cynodon dactylon), evaluated with the mobile nylon bag technique. In assay 2, four […]

The perfecting in the last years of augmentation lenses and that of the microscopes, as well as the development of samples preparation techniques, provided excellent tools in the several science areas. The evaluations at the microscope, electron or optical, of edible products utilized for ruminants, has helped in the cause/effect relationship understanding in animal performance. Of paramount importance are the advances obtained in the action mode of rumen microorganisms in the substrates knowledge, mainly of the particle-associated bacteria. Advances were […]

The forage digestion characteristics can better be understood when associated with studies of tissue anatomy of forage species. Aiming at new focus to this issue, the area of several tissues present in leaves and stems of B. brizantha and B. humidicola, were determined at three different regions of the plant. The assay was carried out at greenhouse, with plants growing in pots with sterilized sand, receiving nutritive solution of macro and micronutrients. After 70 days of growing period, the segment […]

The winter cereals utilization in double purpose system allows to provide forage in critical food conditions periods and also to increase the income of production stablility by improving quality and produtivity of winter cereal grains. The experiment was conducted from April 1994 to September 1996, in Guarapuava, Paraná, to evaluate the potential for forage and grains of white oat (Avena sativa L.), wheat (Triticum aestivum), triticale (X. Triticosecale Witt.), black oat (Avena strigosa Schreb), rye (Secale cereale L.) and barley […]

The influence of three levels of artificial shade (0, 30 e 60%) on mineral composition of six forage grasses (Andropogon gayanus, Brachiaria brizantha, B. decumbens, Melinis minutiflora, Panicum maximum and Setaria sphacelata) was studied. The predominant soil in the region was classified as red-yellow latosol of medium texture and the assay was conducted according to randomized block design, with split plots, in four replicates; the plots corresponded to the shading levels and the split plots corresponded to the forage species. […]

The knowledge of the anatomy of tropical forage grasses may help to improve its use as ruminant feed. The aim of this paper was to determine the area occupied by different tissues in stem and leaf in three cultivars of elephantgrass (Pennisetum purpureum Schumach.). Five plants of each cultivar were selected and segmented into three parts (apical, median and basal), this material being collected after ten weeks of regrowth. The stems were separated into two parts and the leaves segmented […]

Six Paspalum and four legumes accessions were evaluated to identify forage species adapted to poor soil drainage conditions. The experiment was carried out during three successive years, in Modelo Farm, Terenos county (MS, Brazil), in “cerrado” type field area, just after the removing of the natural vegetation, on a poor Plinthaquox soil drainage conditions. Dry matter and green matter yields were evaluated by cuttings done at three, six, nine and 12 weeks after a plot cut uniformity in times that […]