Forage intake, feeding behavior and bio-climatological indices of pasture grass, under the influence of trees, in a silvopastoral system

Authors

  • L.F Sousa Departamento de Zootecnia, Universidade Federal do Tocantins, Palmas, TO, Brazil.
  • R.M. Maurício Departamento de Engenharia de Biossistemas (DEPEB), Universidade Federal de São João Del-Rei, São João Del-Rei, MG, Brazil.
  • D.S.C. Paciullo Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária, Embrapa Gado de Leite, Juiz de Fora, MG, Brazil.
  • S.R. Silveira Departamento de Engenharia de Biossistemas (DEPEB), Universidade Federal de São João Del-Rei, São João Del-Rei, MG, Brazil.
  • R.S. Ribeiro Departamento de Engenharia de Biossistemas (DEPEB), Universidade Federal de São João Del-Rei, São João Del-Rei, MG, Brazil.
  • L.H. Calsavara Departamento de Engenharia de Biossistemas (DEPEB), Universidade Federal de São João Del-Rei, São João Del-Rei, MG, Brazil.
  • G.R. Moreira Departamento de Estatística e Informática, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17138/tgft(3)129-141
Abstract Authors How to Cite

Abstract

The aim of this study was to compare a silvopastoral system with a control (pasture only) in the Brazilian Cerrado. The silvopastoral system consisted of a tropical grass (Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu) pasture and trees (Zeyheria tuberculosa), while the control was a Marandu pasture without trees. Sheep intake, feeding behavior and microclimatic conditions were the variables evaluated. Temperatures within the silvopastoral system were lower than in the control (maximum temperature of 28 and 33.5 °C, temperature and humidity index of 74.0 and 79.2 for the silvopastoral system and control, respectively). There was increased dry matter intake (88.2 vs. 79.9 g DM/kg0.75 LW/d, P<0.05), organic matter intake (89.6 vs. 81.1 g OM/kg0.75 LW/d, P<0.05) and grazing time (572 vs. 288 min/d, P<0.05), and reduced total water intake (430 vs. 474 mL/kg0.75 LW/d, P<0.05) and walking time (30 vs. 89 min/d, P<0.05) in grazing sheep in the silvopastoral system relative to the control. The results suggest that a silvopastoral system would provide a more favorable environment than a straight pasture for sheep performance in a tropical grazing situation.

Keywords: Animal behavior, microclimate, shade, sheep.

DOI: 10.17138/TGFT(3)129-141

Author Biography

R.M. Maurício, Departamento de Engenharia de Biossistemas (DEPEB), Universidade Federal de São João Del-Rei, São João Del-Rei, MG, Brazil.

Departamento de Engenharia de Biossistemas - DEPEB

How to Cite

Sousa, L., Maurício, R., Paciullo, D., Silveira, S., Ribeiro, R., Calsavara, L., & Moreira, G. (2015). Forage intake, feeding behavior and bio-climatological indices of pasture grass, under the influence of trees, in a silvopastoral system. Tropical Grasslands-Forrajes Tropicales, 3(3), 129–141. https://doi.org/10.17138/tgft(3)129-141

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Published

2015-09-30

Issue

Vol. 3 No. 3: September 2015

Section

Research Papers