Leucaena leucocephala seeds were allotted to chemical and mechanical scarification and hot water treatment, to overcome the seed-coat dormancy and to evaluate seedling development, according to a complete randomized design. There was decrease in germination for the control (32.7%) and an increase when seeds were immersed in water with 80ºC during 5 and 15 minutes, and concentrate H2SO4 during 10, 15 and 20 minutes. The emergency rate index was better in the treatment with water 80ºC during 5 minutes and […]

The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the forage potential of new selected clones of elephantgrass. The evaluation was conducted at the Dairy Cattle Research Centre – EMBRAPA, Coronel Pacheco, Minas Gerais, for two consecutive years. Twenty selected clones obtained by the elephantgrass breeding program were evaluated, and two traditional cultivars Cameroon and Taiwan A -146 were used as control. The experimental procedure was a randomized block design with four replicates. The fertilization for both establishment and maintenance was […]

Fifteen reproductive, 22 vegetative and 21 agronomic descriptors were evaluated, the agronomic ones comprised seven descriptors for annual, winter and summer evaluations, respectively, with the objective to select the most appropriate descriptors for characterization of Paspalum guenoarum and Paspalum plicatulum. Principal components analysis was used to discard redundante or non-discriminative descriptors. The principal component analysis allowed a reduction of 53, 68 and 43%, respectively, in the number of initial descriptors considered. By means of this technique, it was possible to […]

The objective of this work was to evaluate the dry matter (DM) yield and chemical composition of furachão grass (Panicum repens L.) at different cutting ages (15, 30, 45, 60 and 75 days), with and without fertilization. For the yield analysis and chemical aanalysis composition, a completely randomized block design in a 5 x 2 factorial arrangement (cutting ages and fertilization levels), with three replicates, was used. Fertilization increased DM produced and reduction in the DM contents. The crude protein […]

ABSTRACT – Ten bovines with abomasal cannulas were used to evaluate the coefficients of digestibility of diets prepared with different protein sources (dry yeast, urea and cottonseed meal). The coefficients of digestibility were obtained by the total feces collection technique and using the chromic oxide as an internal marker. In the diet with urea, an increase of digestibility coefficients for the most nutrients, when the chromic oxide technique was used, was obtaneid. The ethereal extract fraction did not show differences […]

ABSTRACT – A trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of five concentrate levels in the diet on the efficiency of microbial synthesis, balance of nitrogen compounds, ammonia concentrate and pH ruminal fluid. Five rumen, abomasum and ileum fistulated F1 Limousin x Nellore bulls were full fed diets containing 25.0, 37.5, 50.0, 62.5, and 75.0% of concentrate and allotted to a 5 x 5 latin square design. The ammonia concentrations and ruminal pH were determined in ruminal fluid samples collected […]

ABSTRACT – The objective of this work was to evaluate seven non linear functions to describe Guzera male and female growth curves, and their crossbreds (3/4Guzera-1/4Brown Swiss, 1/2Nellore-1/4Brown Swiss-1/4Guzera, 1/2Guzera-1/2Brown Swiss, 1/2Chianina- 1/4Brown Swiss-1/4Guzera, 1/2Caracu-1/2Guzera, 1/2Caracu-1/4Brown Swiss-1/4Guzera) submitted to three levels of supplementation (without, during the dry period and the whole year), to analize and to select one function which presented lower regression deviation, lower residual sum of squares, higher coefficient of determination, lower variation among animal parameters, higher convergence […]

The development of linkage maps has stimulated the search for methods to map genes involved with quantitative trait loci (QTL). A sib par method based on the relation between individuals identic by descent (IBD) has been used to map QTLs. The objective of this paper was to extend the HASEMAN and ELSTON (1972) method to estimate the proportion (p) of genes IBD in half-sib families. The obtained results suggested that the used procedures were efficient to estimate p even when […]

ABSTRACT – The objective of this work was to compare the computerized monitoring of the in vitro gas production system with the in vivo and in situ methods. On the comparisons, corn silage with high/low dry matter contents, with/without inoculation, were used. The digestibility of silage with high dry matter (DM) content, with/without inoculation, did not present differences among the analyzed methods. When evaluated apart from the inoculation effect, that silage differed in vitro/gas and in situ methods; however in […]

With the objective to evaluate two feeding programs (4 and 3 phases), on the performance and carcass yield of two commercial strains (Hubbard and Arbor Acres), 1,600 1-d chicks were used, 800 of each strain. A completely randomized design, in a 2 x 2 x 2 (program x strain x sex) factorial arrangement, with four replicates, was used. During the period from 1 to 46 days period, no effects were verified due either to programs or strains on weight gain […]