Productivity Performance of Sheep in Silvopastoral Systems With Cashew Tree Compared to Grass Monoculture

Maurilio Sousa Dos Santos,Marcônio Martins Rodrigues,Maria Elizabete De Oliveira,Wanderson Fiares De Carvalho,Marcelo Zacharias Moreira,Adibe Luis Abdalla,Tânia Maria Leal,Arnaud Azevedo Alves

doi:10.5296/jas.v10i2.19332

Abstract

The goal in this study was to evaluate the production of sheep and forage silvopastoral systems (SPSs) with cashew trees, compared to the production on grass monoculture. The treatments consisted of three grazing systems: one Massai grass monoculture (Panicum maximum cv Massai) (MONO), and two SPSs: intercrop of Massai grass + cashew tree (Anacardium occidentale) (SM) and intercrop of grass- Massai grass + Estilosantes Campo Grande (Stylosanthes capitata × S. macrocephala) + cashew tree (SME), in a completely randomized split plot design with four replications. The photosynthetically active radiation varied from 45 to 59% in SPSs, the presence of cashew trees created a microenvironment with lower temperatures and higher relative humidity throughout the day. Forage mass in the monoculture and in the SPSs was on average 2,116.65 kg dry matter (DM). ha-1; the participation of the legume in the forage mass was 44%. Greater stocking rate was found in the monoculture, however the gain per area was higher in the SME. In the SPSs, crude protein content of the grass increased by 46.2%, and there was a higher forage intake and weight gain of sheep, mainly in the system with legume. The silvopastoral system with cashew trees, Massai grass, estilosantes and sheep is feasible to optimize land use, with better gain per animal and area in relation to grass monoculture.

Highlights

Sheep farming for meat production is relevant in the Northeast region, whose population accounts for 64.2% Brazilian production, with annual growth in the number of agricultural properties with sheep production (IBGE, 2017)
The treatments consisted of three grazing systems: one Massai grass monoculture (Panicum maximum cv Massai) (MONO), and two silvopastoral systems (SPSs): intercrop of Massai grass + cashew tree (Anacardium occidentale) (SM) and intercrop of grass- Massai grass + Estilosantes Campo Grande (Stylosanthes capitata × S. macrocephala) + cashew tree (SME), in a completely randomized split plot design with four replications
The maximum incident radiation, photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), which occurred between 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM, was 1.796 μmols-1m-2 in full sunlight and 754 μmols-1m-2 in the understory of cashew trees, corresponding to shading of 58%

Summary

Introduction

Sheep farming for meat production is relevant in the Northeast region, whose population accounts for 64.2% Brazilian production, with annual growth in the number of agricultural properties with sheep production (IBGE, 2017). In these establishments, the option for fattening sheep on pastures grown mainly with grass monoculture is increasing. The productive potential of these forages is high, their permanence depends on the maintenance of soil fertility, that is, on the adoption of fertilization, since nutrient cycling in these ecosystems has a low capacity for nutrient replenishment (Boddey et al, 2004; Dubeaux Jr. et al, 2006) Another element to be observed in grass monocultures is the thermal comfort of the animals, as the high temperatures in these pastures influence animal performance (Sousa et al, 2015; AL-Dawood, 2017). Crop diversification in SPS favors nutrient cycling and water infiltration into the soil (Azar et al, 2013; Lima et al, 2018), reduces

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