Caatinga is the most important biome for the livestock in the Brazilian semi-arid region. This review paper aimed to present information on different forage aspects of caatinga vegetation for ruminant feeding. Caatinga vegetation is formed mainly by shrubs and small trees, usually presenting thorns, deciduous leaves, and leaf abscission occurring frequently at the onset of the dry season. Additional components of the botanical composition in this biome includes the families cactaceae, bromeliaceae, and a herbaceous component formed by grasses, legumes, […]

Ensiling is a method of preserving a moist crop. A moist crop can support the growth of a wide range of microorganisms, most of which will degrade the nutrient value to livestock. However, ensiling generally controls microbial activity by a combination of an anaerobic environment and a natural fermentation of sugars by lactic acid bacteria on the crop. This fermentation and the resulting low pH primarily suppress the growth of other anaerobic microorganisms. The fermentation can also inhibit yeasts, molds […]

It was evaluated in this work the contents of dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), total digestible nutrients (TDN), calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P) and magnesium (Mg) in the aerial section of the Tanzania grass (Panicum maximum), fertilized with nitrogen and phosphorus during the summer and autumn. The experimental design was complete randomized, with a 4 × 3 factorial scheme, and four N rates (0, 100, 200, and 300 kg/ha/year), and three pentoxide diphosphorus (P2O5) rates (0, […]

This trial was conducted with the objective of evaluating the nutritive value of three tropical forage species: tanzania grass (Panicum maximum Jacq.), marandu grass (Brachiaria brizantha) and Tifton 85 bermudagrass (Cynodon spp) in two different periods of the year (January-March and April-June) and in three cutting ages (28, 35 and 42 days), based on the chemical composition, protein and carbohydrate fractions, and in vitro digestibility of dry matter (DMD) and organic matter (OMD). Marandu grass, in the period January-March, had […]

The objective of the present work was to evaluate the effect of the alkaline treatment of sugarcane with virgin lime or hydrated lime on the bromatologic composition and in vitro digestibility of dry matter, neutral detergent fiber, and acid detergent fiber. It was used a complete random design with a 3 × 3 factorial scheme composed by three forms of of sugarcane processing (in natura sugarcane; hydrolyzed sugarcane with 0.5% virgin lime; and hydrolyzed sugarcane with 0.5% hydrated lime) and […]

This work aimed to evaluate the effect of four levels of nitrogen (100, 300, 500 and 700 kg.ha-1.year) and six water depth (0, 20, 40, 80, 100 and 120% of the reference evapotranspiration) on the forrage yield, tillers density, relationship leaf/stem, plants height and crude protein content and neutral detergent fiber of the elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum, Schum), during the dry period. The experimental design was a random block split plot design with four replications. Broadcast urea was used as […]

In order to evaluate not apparent relationships in individual studies, variables measured in nine experiments were analyzed in set. These experiments tested levels and sources of supplement for beef heifers, on cool-season cultivated pasture. Data were stratified in two groups: with and without concentrate supplementation. Forage mass and leaf blades on offer as well as sward structure (height and leave:stem ratio) were similar for both groups. Supplemented heifers consumed forage with lesser neutral detergent fiber levels and presented higher average […]

The research aimed to evaluate the use of additives on the fermentative and bromatological characteristics and the population of yeast of the sugarcane silage. The experiment was carried out in a complete randomized design with four replicates. It was tested different amount of additives added to the sugarcane silage at ensiling (based on the forage fresh matter) which were the following: urea 1.5%; urea 0.5% + corn meal 4%; urea 0.5% + dehydrated cassava 4%; starea 1.5%; sugar cane only. […]

The objective of this trial was to evaluate two intervals of grazing on elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schum.) pasture. It was tested a variable grazing interval when it was observed an interception of 95% of active photosynthetic radiation by sward, and a 26-day fixed grazing interval. The experimental design was a complete randomized design with time repeated measurements. The interval of grazing, pre and post grazing sward heights, sward interception of active photosynthetic radiation and leaf area index were greater […]

It was aimed to study the effects of combinations between nitrogen and sulphur rates for the recovery of Signal grass (Brachiara decumbens) pasture by evaluating the nutritional value during the wet and dry seasons in an agriculture year. The experiment was carried out in a degraded pasture of Signal grass, in a randomized block design, 5 × 5 factorial with five nitrogen rates (0, 150, 300, 450 and 600 kg/ha/year) and five sulphur rates (0, 15, 30, 45 and 60 […]