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Nitrogen Retention And Microbial Protein Yield Of Desmodium Uncunatum, Mucuna Pruriens And Vigna Unguiculata Forage Legumes In Goats, Joseph J. Baloyi, Katsande Simbarashe, F. V. Nherera-Chokuda, N. T. Ngongoni

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Forage legumes have high potential degradability, indicating that they might need to stay in the rumen for a longer time (MolinaAlcaide et al., 1996) to increase microbial protein yield. Microbial protein contributes about two thirds of the amino acids absorbed by ruminants (Pathak 2008). Protein supplements which have proper levels of rumen undegradable protein provide growth limiting amino acids like lysine and methionine (Rezai et al., 2012). Nyambati et al. (2003) showed that milk production can be increased by supplementing with velvet bean, highlighting the importance of integrating legumes into the low-input, mixed cropping systems in the tropics. The current …

Mineral Content Of Grasses From Natural Pasture In South West Nigeria, Alaba O. Jolaosho, Okukenu Oluwafemi Adeyemi, O. A. Okukenu, E. Fabusoro

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Nigeria’s grassland grows on uncultivated land on which animals have access for grazing. These are found along roadsides and fallow lands in the coastal forest zones of Nigeria. Most of the natural grassland/rangeland assumes more important proportions in the open derived savanna zones of the country. Ruminant production during dry season is limited by low productivity of pasture forages, which often contain too low mineral concentration to meet the minimum requirement for optimal productivity of livestock (Annison and Bryden, 1998).

Seed Biopriming A Novel Tool For Production Of Disease Free Fodder, H. B. Singh

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Indian agriculture is characterized by intertwined practices of crop production and animal husbandry. Domesticated animals have been energy source for farm operations and protein source. Fodder crops vitally serve as main source of food for the livestock. Major limitations in production of fodder crops are poor distribution of resources due to their noncommercial status, non-availability of quality/certified seeds and various diseases.

Litter Decomposition Of Xaraes-Grass Pasture Subjected To Different Post-Grazing Residuals, Ana C. Ruggieri, Elisamara Raposo, Leandro Galzerano, Alan R. Panosso, Mariana V. Azenha, Estella R. Janusckiewicz

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Since fertilizers are used less extensively on Xaraes-grass (Brachiaria brizantha) pastures in Brazil because of costs, the main route of nitrogen (N) supply to plants is through nutrient recycling via litter decomposition. One of the strategies used to maintain the supply of N is to manage the pasture correctly by keeping it under grazing pressure so that the amount of recycled nutrients in the residue is sufficient to meet the pasture requirements (Jantalia et al.2006). Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate different residual leaf area indices (RLAI) and determine which one provides the best …

Animal Performance On Tanzânia Grass Pasture Intercropped With Estilozantes Campo Grande Or Fertilized With Nitrogen, In The Seasons, Ulysses Cecato, Bruno S. Iwamoto, Edmar P. Peluso, Gracielle C. Mari, Vinicius V. Pereira, José M. Saute

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Nitrogen (N) is the most important nutrient for growth and development of pasture, giving the plant a faster growth rate and greater production (Roma et al. 2012). Despite proven effectiveness, there is restriction on its use by farmers due to high cost. On the other hand, the legume Estilozantes Campo Grande (Stylosanthes spp. (80% S. capitata + 20% S. macrocephala), capable of fixing nitrogen atmospheric has become a promising plant, as shown by the work of Ribeiro et al. (2011). However, there is still a lack of information about its use in association with grasses for animal …

Accumulation Of Dry Matter And Morphological Composition Of Irrigated Mombaça Grass Fertilized With And Without Nitrogen Under Grazing, Ulysses Cecato, Gracielle C. Mari, Tatiane Beloni, Vanessa C. Piotto, Túlio Otavio D'Almeida Lins, Alyson Andrade Pinehiro

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Brazil is the holder of the largest commercial cattle herd in the world and the world's leading exporter of fresh and industrialized meat. Beef production is based on pastures and the production system is influenced by absence of fertilization and the seasonality of forage during of this the year, caused mainly by temperature, rainfall and luminosity. Nitrogen (N) is the most important element for the development and growth of grasses, since it accelerates the formation and growth of new leaves, improves regrowth vigor resulting in greater production and carrying capacity of pastures (Cecato et al. 2011). The present study …

The Effect Of N-Fertilization Rate Or Inclusion Of Red Clover To Timothy Leys On Fatty Acid Composition In Dairy Cow Milk, Katarina Arvidsson, Anne-Maj Gustavsson, Veerle Fievez, Kjell Martinsson

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

There is growing awareness among consumers of the link between diet and health. Further, the public often associates dairy products with coronary heart disease, since most of the fatty acids (FA) in milk are saturated. Therefore, it would be desirable to improve the FA profile of milk, which might be achieved by using appropriate feeding regimes. N-fertilization has been shown to influence both total fatty acid (TFA) content and the FA composition in a wide variety of species (Arvidsson 2009). The aim of this experiment was to evaluate the effects of grass silages subjected to different N fertilisation regimes fed …

Production Of Aruana Guinea Grass Submitted To Cutting Severities And Nitrogen Fertilization, Alessandra A. Giacomini, Karina Batista, Maria T. Colozza, Luciana Gerdes, Waldssimiler T. Mattos, Ivani P. Otsuki, Flavia M. A. Gimenes, Linda M. Premazzi

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Aruana Guineagrass (Panicum maximum Jacques cv. Aruana) is widely used as pasture for sheep, which are extremely susceptible to infestation by larvae of gastrointestinal parasites in tropical pasture-based systems (Zanini et al. 2012) A way to mitigate this problem, and consequently reduce the need for use of anthelmintics, is by managing pastures with post-grazing height low enough to favor the incidence of sunlight at the base of tussocks that will kill and control larval development, without jeopardizing canopy regrowth and persistence. The pre-grazing sward height recommended for Aruana Guineagrass is 30 cm, when the canopy intercepts 95% of …

Abundance, Diversity And Importance Of Some Insects In Grasslands Of Indian Arid Zone, Nisha Patel

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Grasslands in arid regions are home to a large number of species of insects, which are well adapted to living in this ecosystem. Insects constitute a major part of the total faunal biodiversity of these grasslands and provide valuable ecosystem services such as pollination, decomposition, nutrient recycling, being important links in the food chain, etc. Diversity of entomofauna is a good criteria for judging the health of a grassland. However this diversity has not yet been properly studied. In the present study, attempt was made to unravel the diversity of some groups of insects in the grasslands of Indian arid …

Influence Of Grass Species On The Mycotoxins Content, Jiri Skladanka, Daniela Knotova, Pavel Knot, Lucie Hodulikova, Jan Nedelnik, Iva Klusonova, Monika Novotna

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Clean and healthy phytomass is a prerequisite for producing high-quality forage. Development of microscopic fungi may lead to the formation of mycotoxins (Opitz von Boberfeld et al., 2006), which are secondary metabolites produced especially by the fungi Aspergillus, Penicillium and Fusarium (Rodrigues and Naehrer, 2012). Mycotoxins are produced due to interactions and reactions of fungi to environmental conditions (Opitz von Boberfeld et al., 2002). Mycotoxins naturally have negative impacts upon livestock, causing alterations in hormonal functions, poor feed utilization, lower rates of body weight gain, and possibly death (Duarte et al., 2013).

Preventing the occurrence of mycotoxins …

Cattle Fecal Decomposition On Pennisetum Purpureum Schum. Pastures Managed Under Different Post-Grazing Stubble Heights, José C. B. Dubeux Jr., Felipe M. Saraiva, Mércia V. F. Dos Santos, Alexandre C. L. De Mello, Vicente Imbrosi Teixeira, Erinaldo Viana De Freitas

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Pasture management may affect cattle diet. Post-grazing stubble height is a pasture structural characteristic intrinsically linked to forage quantity and quality. Stubble height also indicates forage utilization rate, and as a result, affects nutrient pathway return (excreta or litter) and ultimately, nutrient cycling. Cattle excreta deposition affects soil chemical and physical characteristics (Carran and Theobald 2000). Slow release of nutrients from cattle dung, however, delays nutrient bioavailability for subsequent forage growth (Haynes and Williams 1993). This study evaluated how different post-grazing stubble heights on elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schum.) pastures may affect cattle dung decomposition and nutrient release.

Decomposition Of Cattle Dung On Mixed Grass-Legume Pastures, José C. B. Dubeux Jr., Carolina Câmara Lira, Erinaldo Viana De Freitas, Mércia V. F. Dos Santos, Mário De Andrade Lira, Caroline Dykstra, Erick Rodrigo Da Silva Santos, Fernando Tenório Filho

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Animal excreta contribute positively to nutrient cycling and can improve the quality of soil (Dubeux et al. 2009, Carvalho et al. 2010). Cattle excrement, when evenly distributed over a pasture, can help to maintain plant nutrition without the application of fertilizers. The introduction of legumes intercropped with grasses benefits the soil by means of nitrogen fixation. Also, when ruminant animals eat legumes, the excrement produced may have lower C:N, C:P, lignin:N and lignin:P ratios promoting better nutrient return to the soil compared to when cattle eat only grass. Given the importance of nutrient return and decomposition time of …

Impact Of Chromolaena Odorata Invasion On Diversity, Dry Matter Yield And Soil Mineral Contents In Pasture Area, Muhammad Rusdy, Muhammad Riadi

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

A major constraint to livestock production in tropical countries is the scarcity and fluctuating quantity and quality of year around forage supply. During the rainy season, tropical forage species grow at very fast rates, with forage yields often exceeding animal requirements. If not cut or fed to animals, during the dry season such forage becomes fibrous and lack of most essential nutrients required by animals. In densely populated country like Indonesia, lacks of forage supply are aggravated by the high conversion of grassland to cash crop and invasion of alien weeds into pasture area.

Since introduced to Indonesia in the …

Pasture Larval Burden In A Grazing Land Of Subtropical Hill Region Of Meghalaya, R. Laha, M. Das, A. Goswami, A. Sen

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Gastrointestinal (GI) helminths infections are considered as one of the most devastating diseases of livestock as it causes mortality, morbidity and thereby economic losses to the livestock owners. Infective larvae of nematodes are the source of infection to the livestock and one of the ways of nematode infection to the livestock is the ingestion of infective larvae (L3) through contaminated pasture. The count of infective larvae could give an idea of infection in animals grazed in a particular pasture land. Management of pasture is an important component of nematode parasite control programs. In the present study, pasture larval burden (PLB) …

Fungal Endophytes From The Aerial Tissues Of Important Tropical Forage Grasses Brachiaria Spp. In Kenya, Sita R. Ghimire, Joyce Njuguna, Leah Kago, Monday Ahonsi, Donald M. G. Njarui

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Most, if not all plants in natural ecosystems are symbiotic with mycorrhizal fungi and/or fungal endophytes. This association between plant and fungi is believed to be over 400 million years old when plants first colonized the land (Redecker et al., 2000). These fungal symbionts play important roles on plant ecology, fitness, and evolution; shaping plant communities; and the community structure and diversity of associated organisms. The importance of fungal endophytes in cool season grasses production and effects of endophyte on the livestock health (Examples fescue toxicosis and ryegrass staggers) have been extensively investigated (Smith et al., 2009; di Menna …

Performance Of Promising Forage In Eastern India And Their Nutritive Value, J. J. Gupta, A. Dey, B. P. Bhatt, S. K. Barari

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Eastern region of India possesses large number of ruminant population (162 million) that depend on available feed resources (GOI, 2014). But, at the same time, an acute shortage of green fodder prevails in the eastern part of India that varies from 82 to 89 per cent. The main reason behind this gap is low land holding and negligible area under fodder production. Shortage of quality feed and fodder resources and neglect of forage crops led to decline in the productivity of Indian livestock. However, as a whole, country having 8.30 million ha area under fodder production (Anon, 2013) and out …

Productivity Enhancement Of Livestock Through Promotion Of Fodder Cultivation In Jehanabad District, Shobha Rani, R. K. Sohane, Dinesh Mahto

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Livestock production is the backbone of Indian agriculture and also plays a key role in providing employment especially in rural areas. In India, there is no practice of fodder production in rural areas and animals generally consume naturally grown grasses and shrubs which are of low quality in terms of protein and available energy, they are thus heavily dependent on seasonal variations and this results in fluctuation in fodder supply round the year affecting supply of milk round the year. For proper growth and development of the livestock, feed management is of great importance. In Jehanabad district, majority of the …

Effects Of Supplemental Feeding Using Different Nitrogen Sources On Body Weight Gain And Physiological Conditions On Grazing Castrated Lambs In The Steppe Zone Of Mongolia, Bayaraa Baasanjalbuu, Seishi Yamasaki, Gantumur Chuluunbat, Puruv Tsedevdorj

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The pastoral livestock production system in Mongolia has traditionally been operated in natural open pastures, which occupies approximately 80% area of the country. The productivity of the system is extremely seasonal, and the nutritional values of pasture plants such as crude protein (CP) and total digestible nutrients (TDN) decrease until spring (Yamasaki et al., 2013), resulting in animals losing their live weight by spring. In recent years, the damage caused by disastrously snowy and cold conditions, termed dzud in Mongolian, has evidently worsened, thereby affecting farm management in the region. To overcome the dzud and establish a sustainable livestock production …

Nutrient Intake And Utilization In Jalauni Lambs Fed Azolla Meal Supplemented Diet, M. M. Das, Rajiv K. Agrawal, J. B. Singh, Sunil Kumar, Satyapriya, Ravi Pratap Singh, Satendra Kumar

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Azolla is an important aquatic fungi due to the occurrence of both photosynthesis and nitrogen fixation in the leaves and also because of its profuse growth habbit, it appears as a potential source of protein, minerals and vitamins for livestock feeding. Keeping in view of the increasing cost and heavy deficit of concentrate ingredients in the country, an attempt was made to replace mustard cake protein @ 25% and 50% levels with Azolla (Microphylla) meal protein in the ration of sheep to investigate the effect of supplementation of azolla meal on nutrient intake and utilization in growing Jalauni …

Biodiversity Conservation Of Indigenous Grasses To Meet Fodder Deficit In Odisha, Bijoy Kumar Sahoo, Binayak Dash

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In Odisha, underfeeding of the livestock is the primary reason for decrease in production potential of the animals. On an average a desi cow of the state yields 0.214 kg of milk per day. The neglected calf management for generations also reduced the body weight of bullocks gradually. Low productivity of the indigenous and crossbred cows in the state is the absence of proper feeding material for them. The fodder availability in the state is ill matched to the livestock population. Out of the total greenfodder availability, contribution of cultivated green fodder is only 2.83% and majority (97.17 %) is …

Effect Of Supplementation Frequency On Forage Utilization By Heifers Grazing A Tropical Pasture During The Dry Season, José Augusto Imaz, D. Dos Santos, O. Hernández, A. Radrizzani, J. I. Arroquy

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In tropical pasture, low quality and availability forage during the dry season can limit the cattle intake. Energetic and protein supplementation is a viable practice to improve feed intake and animal performance. Previous studies have shown that infrequent protein supplementation decreases feeding cost achieving similar performance compared with every day supplementation (Farmer et al., 2004). Even though infrequent protein supplementation has been widely studied, little research has been carried out on infrequent energetic supplementation, especially its effect on pasture utilization. Some evidence indicates that negative effects on forage use at low levels of infrequent supplementation (Beaty et al., 1994). …

Buffalo Rearing System In Bhadawari Breeding Tract, B. P. Kushwaha, Sultan Singh, S. B. Maity, K. K. Singh, Asim Kumar Misra

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Bhadawari buffalo is one of the recognized buffalo breeds in India, known for high milk fat content, which may go as high as 14% (Kushwaha et al., 2012). Zachariah (1941) had first described this breed as “Bhadawan” buffalo – the best breed of buffaloes in Uttar Pradesh and found in the districts of Agra and Etah (Central India). Presently Bhadawari Buffaloes are found in the ravines of Yamuna and Chambal rivers spread over in the states of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. These buffaloes have adapted to the harsh conditions of the ravines with undulating topography, thorny and scanty …

Strategic Supplementation For Compensatory Growth In Tharparkar Calves Fed Low Quality Forages, S. K. Mahanta, M. M. Das

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

When animals are kept under feed restriction for a certain period of time followed by availability of feed again had high growth rate and even exceeded those of animals that were well fed throughout the same period (Tolla et al., 2003), because of physiological impulse called compensatory gain. Thus it improves feed efficiency and reduces feeding cost (Neto et al., 2011). However, when this happens in females growing calves it is desirable, provided it does not occur during puberty so that there is no reproductive damage. But compensatory growth varies depending upon the intensity and duration of under nutrition …

Carbohydrate To Protein Ratio In Perennial Ryegrass: Effects Of Defoliation Stage And Nitrogen Rate, Pablo A. Loaiza, Oscar A. Balocchi, Annick Bertrand, Ignacio F. López

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In intensive grass-based systems, perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L) grazed at early stages has a high crude protein content (CP) and low water soluble carbohydrate (WSC) relative to animal requirements. This imbalance leads to low nitrogen (N) use efficiency and a large loss of N excreted to the environment (Dijkstra et al. 2011). Previous research has shown the importance of the WSC:PC ratio as a useful factor that determines the improvement of the animal’s performance in terms of nitrogen utilization (Cosgrove et al. 2007). However, little is known about how the management of defoliation at specific growth …

Use Of Monsoon Herbage (Amaranthus Spp.) In Complete Feed Block For Sheep Feeding, R. S. Bhatt, A. Sahoo, S. K. Sankhyan

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Favourable climatic condition and faster vegetation growth during monsoon season leads to abundance of forage production, which remained mostly unutilized by the grazing herbivores. Chaulai (Amaranthus spp) is one of the local green biomass that grows very fast after first monsoon shower and is not preferably grazed in comparison to other available grazing resources during monsoon. A huge quantity (dry biomass yield of approximately 10-15 Q/ha) of this biomass is therefore gone waste in due course, not being harvested or utilized. This plant is quite rich in protein (CP 10-14%) with succulent leaves and tender stems and has varying palatability …

Effects Of Tropical Legume (Stylosanthes Cv. Campo Grande) Silage And Dietary Protein Levels On Animal Performance Of Finishing Beef Cattle, Leandro Diego Da Silva, Odilon G. Pereira, Thiago C. Da Silva, Sebastião De C. Valadares Filho, Karina G. Ribeiro

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Recently, the interest in legume silage for livestock systems has increased in tropical countries (Heinritz et al., 2012) because of the high inclusion of the protein sources in the concentrate used in feedlot diets, like soybean meal. Stylosanthes cv. Campo Grande was developed in Brazil and this cultivar has a good adaptation to tropical conditions, as soils with low fertility and high acidity (Fernandes et al., 2005). Recently, this legume has been indicated for silage making because of its nutritional value and previous results with beef cattle have showed similar performance and digestibility in comparison with corn silage (Souza …

Effect Of Feeding Whole Crop Barley Silage On Growth Performance, Carcass Trait And Meat Quality Of Hanwoo Steer, Ki-Choon Choi, Won-Ho Kim, Soundarrajan Ilavenil

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Hanwoo steers are one of the major sources of meat, required for increasing consumer demands in Korea, Japan, and China. Beef contained high levels of saturated fat, and it contains appreciable quantities of linolenic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid. Optimum growth can obtain with appropriate combination of concentrate and forage. Fattening of Hanwoo on concentrate-based feeds resulted in faster, more efficient growth and heavier carcasses. However, feed costs represent the largest single variable in beef production in Korea and Japan. The grass is generally the cheapest source of feed available for beef production, which provides high yields with quality …

The Effects Of Tithonia Diversifolia On Dairy Cow Performance, Rafael S. Ribeiro, Sylvia Rocha E Silveira, Joao Paulo Sacramento, Gilberto Debortoli Delarota, Danielle Storino De Freitas, Rogerio M. Mauricio, Thierry Ribeiro Tomich, Luiz G. R. Pereira, Alexandre Vieira Chaves, Stephanie Amelia Terry

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Southeast, South and Central West are the main milk producing regions in the Brazil. Especially in the states of Minas Gerais, Goias and Sao Paulo, the tropical climate is very characteristic, with hot and rainy summers, and dry winters. Dry winters in these states are characterized by scarcity of pasture herbage mass, which directly influence the volume of milk produced.

The high volume of milk produced in summer and low volume of milk produced in winter (i.e. seasonality of production which is about 20% of total milk volume) directly affects dairy farmers by reducing its revenue during dry winters …

Stylosanthes Cv. Campo Grande In Diets Of Beef Cattle: Intake And Digestibility Of Nutrients And Ruminal Fermentation, Thiago C. Da Silva, Felipe Xavier Amaro, Odilon G. Pereira, Felipe X. Amaro, Paula G. F. Duarte, Leidy D. A. Rufino, Augusto M. Corrêa, Karina G. Ribeiro, Sebastião De C. Valadares Filho

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Recent studies have shown that it is possible to obtain well-fermented silages from tropical legumes (Heinritz et al., 2012). Souza et al. (2014) concluded that Stylosanthes cv. Campo Grande silage (StS); (Stylosantes capitata + S. macrocephala), when included in the proportion of 50% dietary dry matter (DM), could replace corn silage in diets of feedlot beef cattle without altering intake and performance.

However, there is a lack of information about increasing proportion of StS that should be included in diets for beef cattle. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the intake and digestibility of nutrients, …

An R Package To Compute The Energy Balance For Ruminants Under Both Grazing And Pen-Fed Conditions, Taro Takahashi, Karl Behrendt, David R. Kemp

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Grassland degradation is a serious environmental problem around the world, with off-site impacts of soil erosion affecting wider communities beyond those engaging in livestock farming (Kemp and Michalk, 2007). In order to operationalise an alternative farming system that is beneficial to both producers and the ecological environment, the energy and nutritional demands for animal production must be met, either through grassland production, supplementary feeding or the combination of the two, in an efficient manner (Kemp et al., 2013). The use of specialized biophysical models to estimate the energy balance of livestock is a well-proven solution to find such an economically …