Botanical composition and nutritive value of the diet consumed by cattle in an area invaded by natal grass [Melinis repens (Willd.) Zizka]

The objective was to evaluate the botanical composition and nutritional value in the diet of bovine cattle in areas invaded by natal grass [Melinis repens (Willd.) Zizka]. The research was conducted at the Salinas Ranch, in the municipality of Satevó, Chihuahua, in a brush grassland. Botanical composition of the area was determined by the line-point intercept method. Sampling was conducted from August 2013 to February 2014. The botanical composition of the diet (microhistological technique) and the nutritional value were determined using two esophageal-fistulated Hereford/Angus heifers (350 ± 5 kg). The data were subjected to a variance analysis, and the chemical composition of the diet was fitted using the PROC MIXED procedure of SAS to a mixed model. The average available forage during the four phenological stages was 1,279 kg DM ha-1, with a presence of 87.5 % natal grass (1,119.13 kg DM ha-1). The highest preference indexes were for Aristida divaricata (8.43) and Croton pottsii (12.95) during the growing stage; whereas the least preferred species was Melinis repens (0.33 to 0.41). The highest crude protein content was observed during the growing (13.23 %) and flowering stages (10.71 %). During this study the best quality of the diet was determined during the growing and flowering stages and was mainly composed of Melinis repens during four stages.

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	Gutiérrez Gutiérreza, Obed Gabriel, Morales Nieto, Carlos Raúl, Villalobos González, José Carlos, Ruíz Barrera, Oscar, Ortega Gutiérrez, Juan Ángel, Palacio Nuñez, Jorge
Format:	Digital revista
Language:	spa eng
Published:	Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales, Agrícolas y Pecuarias 2019
Online Access:	https://cienciaspecuarias.inifap.gob.mx/index.php/Pecuarias/article/view/4451
Tags:	Add Tag No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!