Herbage accumulation, nutritive value, and persistence of new warm‐season perennial grasses

Abstract

Abstract‘Camello’ brachiariagrass (Urochloa spp.) and Spain guineagrass [Megathyrsus maximus (Jacq.) B.K. Simon & S.W.L. Jacobs] are new warm‐season perennial forages with potential for use in subtropical livestock production systems. There are no data in the United States describing their agronomic performance. This study aimed to evaluate the herbage accumulation (HA) and nutritive value of Camello and Spain in north‐central (Citra) and south (Ona) Florida. Experiments were conducted from April to October in 2019 and 2020. Treatments were four warm‐season grasses: Spain guineagrass, Camello brachiariagrass, ‘Mombaça’ guineagrass (not included at Ona), and Jiggs bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.] distributed in a randomized complete block design with four replicates. In Ona, Camello and Spain had similar HA but outyielded Jiggs. Jiggs had greater crude protein (CP) than Camello and Spain during summer but less in vitro digestible organic matter (IVDOM). After 2 yr, there was no difference in groundcover among genotypes at Ona. In Citra, Spain had the greatest HA, followed by Camello and Mombaça, with Jiggs having the least. Jiggs had the greatest CP concentration among the grasses but less IVDOM. Camello, Spain, and Mombaça had generally similar IVDOM, with few differences among months. After 2 yr at Citra, Jiggs had the greatest groundcover, followed by Camello. Mombaça and Spain had the least and did not persist after the 2020–2021 winter. Camello and Spain are promising warm‐season perennial grasses for lower subtropical latitudes, but in the cooler subtropics, the longevity of Spain stands is compromised by frequent winter freezing.