Description
This study evaluated the average daily weight gain (ADG), stocking rates, and live weight gain per hectare (LWG) in different intensified animal production systems. The experiment was carried out from September 2020 to September 2021 at Embrapa Southeast Livestock, São Carlos, SP, Brazil. Thirty Nellore steers (285±21 kg of live weight and 12±13 months old) were randomly distributed into five treatments, with two replicates: 1) intensively managed and irrigated Megathyrsus maximus cv. Tanzânia pasture overseeded in the dry season with Avena byzantina and Lolium multiflorum (IHS); 2) intensively managed rainfed M. maximus cv. Tanzânia pasture (RHS); 3) intensively managed rainfed pasture with a mix of Urochloa decumbens cv. Basilisk and U. brizantha cv. Marandu (RMS); 4) intensively managed silvopastoral system with U. decumbens cv. Basilisk and Brazilian native trees (312 trees ha-1) (LFS); and 5) extensively managed degraded pasture of U. brizantha cv. Marandu and U. decumbens cv. Basilisk (DP). Data were submitted to analysis of variance considering treatments and seasons as fixed effects, and the interaction between treatment×season was tested. Means were compared by the Fisher test at 5% using the PROC MIXED of SAS. For all parameters, significant interaction was found (P< .0001). In general, higher ADG, stocking rate and LWG values were found for IHS (0.82 kg d-1, 6.03 AU ha-1 and 459.9 kg ha-1, respectively), while the lowest values were found for DP (0.33 kg d-1); for LFS (1.16 AU ha-1); and for LFS and DP (71.0 and 68.9 kg ha-1, respectively). It is important to consider that for LFS the competition for natural resources between the system components (pasture and trees) together with low temperatures and soil moisture during the autumn and winter seasons may explain the unexpected low performances. Overall, our results showed that more intensified systems allowed better animal performances when compared to DP.
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Agricultural Science Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Plant Biology Commons, Plant Pathology Commons, Soil Science Commons, Weed Science Commons
Performance of Finishing Nellore Beef Steers in Intensively Managed Pastures and Silvopastoral Systems in Southeast of Brazil
This study evaluated the average daily weight gain (ADG), stocking rates, and live weight gain per hectare (LWG) in different intensified animal production systems. The experiment was carried out from September 2020 to September 2021 at Embrapa Southeast Livestock, São Carlos, SP, Brazil. Thirty Nellore steers (285±21 kg of live weight and 12±13 months old) were randomly distributed into five treatments, with two replicates: 1) intensively managed and irrigated Megathyrsus maximus cv. Tanzânia pasture overseeded in the dry season with Avena byzantina and Lolium multiflorum (IHS); 2) intensively managed rainfed M. maximus cv. Tanzânia pasture (RHS); 3) intensively managed rainfed pasture with a mix of Urochloa decumbens cv. Basilisk and U. brizantha cv. Marandu (RMS); 4) intensively managed silvopastoral system with U. decumbens cv. Basilisk and Brazilian native trees (312 trees ha-1) (LFS); and 5) extensively managed degraded pasture of U. brizantha cv. Marandu and U. decumbens cv. Basilisk (DP). Data were submitted to analysis of variance considering treatments and seasons as fixed effects, and the interaction between treatment×season was tested. Means were compared by the Fisher test at 5% using the PROC MIXED of SAS. For all parameters, significant interaction was found (P< .0001). In general, higher ADG, stocking rate and LWG values were found for IHS (0.82 kg d-1, 6.03 AU ha-1 and 459.9 kg ha-1, respectively), while the lowest values were found for DP (0.33 kg d-1); for LFS (1.16 AU ha-1); and for LFS and DP (71.0 and 68.9 kg ha-1, respectively). It is important to consider that for LFS the competition for natural resources between the system components (pasture and trees) together with low temperatures and soil moisture during the autumn and winter seasons may explain the unexpected low performances. Overall, our results showed that more intensified systems allowed better animal performances when compared to DP.
