Abstract
Aim of study: To evaluate the performance of beef calves fed black oat and Italian ryegrass pasture seeded with several different seeding rates (SR) of common vetch in a crop-livestock integrated system.Area of study: The experiment was carried out in Dois Vizinhos city, Paraná, Brazil.Material and methods: An area of 8.3 ha was used, which was divided into 11 paddocks, 0.75 ha each. Nellore calves (n = 22), 7 ± 2 months old and with initial body weight of 134 ± 27 kg were used for the tests. The experimental design was completely randomised. Vetch (Vicia sativa L., ‘Amethyst’) SR treatments included 0, 15, 30, and 45 kg ha-1, in a mixture with black oat (Avena strigosa Schreb. ‘IPR 61’ and Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) pastures.Main results: There was no effect of SR on pasture productivity parameters. The increase in vetch seed in the seed mixture resulted in an increase in crude protein and neutral detergent fibre, but decreased in vitro digestibility of vetch. However, these changes did not affect the nutritional value of the pasture. Vetch SR of 30 kg ha-1 or higher allowed greater share of the legume in the pasture, thereby enhancing greater individual animal performanceResearch highlights: Vetch SR of 30 kg ha-1 or higher allowed greater share of the legume in the pasture, thereby enhancing greater individual animal performance.
Highlights
Livestock production based on forage is limited mainly by the variation in forage quality, and the availability of a continuous and consistent supply throughout the year
Average forage mass obtained over the experimental period was 1957 ± 607 kg of dry matter (DM) ha-1 (Table 1) and it was not affected by seeding rates (SR)
The increase in SR did not influence the botanical composition of the grasses (Table 1), that is, the increase in the contribution by the vetch did not affect the development of black oat or Italian ryegrass
Summary
Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná, Câmpus Dois Vizinhos, Dois Vizinhos, Paraná, Brazil 2 Universidade do Oeste do Paraná, Câmpus Marechal Cândido Rondon, Marechal Candido Rondon, Paraná, Brazil 3 Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
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