Herbage intake, methane emissions and animal performance of steers grazing dwarf elephant grass v. dwarf elephant grass and peanut pastures.
Management strategies for increasing ruminant legume consumption and mitigating methane emissions from tropical livestock production systems require further study. The aim of this work was to evaluate the herbage intake, animal performance and enteric methane emissions of cattle grazing dwarf elephant grass (DEG) (Pennisetum purpureum cv. BRS Kurumi) alone or DEG with peanut (Arachis pintoi cv. Amarillo). The experimental treatments were the following: DEG pastures receiving nitrogen fertilization (150 kg N/ha as ammonium nitrate) and DEG intercropped with peanut plus an adjacent area of peanut that was accessible to grazing animals for 5 h/day (from 0700 to 1200 h). The animals grazing legume pastures showed greater average daily gain and herbage intake, and shorter morning and total grazing times. Daily methane emissions were greater from the animals grazing legume pastures, whereas methane emissions per unit of herbage intake did not differ between treatments. Allowing animals access to an exclusive area of legumes in a tropical grass-pasture-based system can improve animal performance without increasing methane production per kg of dry matter intake.
1Departamento de Produção Animal e Alimentos,Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina,Av. Luiz de Camões,2090,Lages,SC 88520-000,Brazil.
E A
EA
Andrade
2Empresa de Pesquisa Agropecuária e Extensão Rural de Santa Catarina,Lageado Água Negras,Ituporanga,SC 88400-000,Brazil.
E X
EX
Almeida
1Departamento de Produção Animal e Alimentos,Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina,Av. Luiz de Camões,2090,Lages,SC 88520-000,Brazil.
G T
GT
Raupp
1Departamento de Produção Animal e Alimentos,Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina,Av. Luiz de Camões,2090,Lages,SC 88520-000,Brazil.
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Miguel
1Departamento de Produção Animal e Alimentos,Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina,Av. Luiz de Camões,2090,Lages,SC 88520-000,Brazil.
D M
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de Liz
3Departamento de Plantas Forrageiras e Agrometeorologia,Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul,Av. Bento Gonçalves,7712,Porto Alegre,RS 91540-000,Brazil.
P C F
PC
Carvalho
4Departamento de Solos,Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul,Av. Bento Gonçalves,7712,Porto Alegre,RS 91540-000,Brazil.
C
C
Bayer
1Departamento de Produção Animal e Alimentos,Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina,Av. Luiz de Camões,2090,Lages,SC 88520-000,Brazil.
H M N
HM
Ribeiro-Filho
D000821:Animal Feed / Q000032:analysis*; D000818:Animals; D010367:Arachis; D002417:Cattle / Q000502:physiology*; D004032:Diet / Q000662:veterinary; D007887:Fabaceae; D008297:Male; D008697:Methane / Q000378:metabolism*; D031782:Pennisetum; D006109:Poaceae; D015430:Weight Gain
D008697:Methane
Arachis pintoi; Pennisetum Purpureum; average daily gain; greenhouse gases; herbage intake