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Abstract
Native forages are important feed sources in the northeastern semi-arid region of Brazil. The objective of this study was to evaluate the chemical characteristics of hays made from the native shrub legumes, sabiá (Mimosa caesalpiniifolia Benth.) and mororó [Bauhinia cheilantha (Bong.) Steud.], using different plant fractions, leaves only or leaves plus twigs. Analyses carried out were: concentrations of dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), ether extract (EE), ash, total digestible nutrients (TDN) and non-fiber carbohydrates (NFC). Sabiá leaf hay contained greater CP concentration (182 g/kg DM) than mororó leaf hay (126 g/kg DM) but hay made from leaf plus twigs showed similar CP for both legumes (mean 106 g/kg DM). Concentrations of NDF (368 g/kg DM), NFC (418 g/kg DM) and TDN (481 g/kg DM) of mororó leaf hay were superior to those of sabiá leaf hay (465, 258 and 311 g/kg DM, respectively). The findings suggest that these native legumes can be conserved as hay during the growing season to provide a supplementary feed with acceptable nutritive value for feeding during the period of inadequate feed availability and quality in semi-arid Brazil. However, more samples from a range of growth stages and locations are needed to confirm these preliminary findings and to provide data on possible yields, while more feeding studies with ruminants are needed to confirm the preliminary data in terms of liveweight performance.
Highlights
In semi-arid northeast Brazil, rainfall is irregular and evapotranspiration is high, which results in a negative water balance affecting both animal husbandry and agriculture, through increased risk (Moreira et al 2006; Silva and Alcântara 2009) and variation in forage quantity and quality (Bailey and Brown 2011; Hughes et al 2012)
While dry matter (DM) concentration in hays made of leaves only and leaves plus twigs varied little (Table 1), hays made from leaves only showed higher crude protein (CP) and lower neutral detergent fiber (NDF) concentrations than hays made from leaves plus twigs
Mororó leaf hay contained lower CP concentration than sabiá leaf hay (126 vs. 182 g/kg DM) but CP in hays made from leaf plus twigs was similar for both species (106 vs. 107 g/kg DM)
Summary
In semi-arid northeast Brazil, rainfall is irregular and evapotranspiration is high, which results in a negative water balance affecting both animal husbandry and agriculture, through increased risk (Moreira et al 2006; Silva and Alcântara 2009) and variation in forage quantity and quality (Bailey and Brown 2011; Hughes et al 2012). Livestock productivity on natural pastures is affected (Santana et al 2011; Lima et al 2015), requiring the feeding of supplements. While this can be expensive, supplementing of herds should prioritize alternatives that minimize production costs. The use of fresh forage, hay or silage from native forages in much of the pasturelands during the dry season can correct nutritional deficiencies at relatively low cost (Alves et al 2011; Parente and Maia 2011). Many legumes that occur in the Caatinga, the native vegetation of Brazil’s semi-arid northeast region, are suitable for haymaking, but there is limited information on their dry matter (DM) yields, nutritional value and labor required for hay production (Arruda 2011; Silva et al 2012). Conservation of forage for feeding during periods of deficiency, e.g. the dry season, seems a possible alternative to strategic use of native plants from Caatinga, since most of these are deciduous and shed leaves before they are needed (Santos et al 2010)
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