Publication Date
1993
Description
A Brachiaria decumbens pasture was evaluated in a factorial experiment (2 stocking rates and 2 pasture managements). Eight steers averaging 370 kg live weight (LW) were allocated to the paddocks at the beginning of the wet season ( 1 December). For the deferred management treatment, half of the area was closed off at the end of the rainy season ( 15 March to 15 June) for utilisation as stockpiled feed during the dry season (15 June to 30 October). B. decumbems was capable of fattening Nellore steers during the rainy ·season, but maintained steer live weight (LW) only in the dry season at a stocking rate of 1 head/ha. Stockpiling did not contribute to LW maintenance when compared with continuous grazing. Yearly average LW of the steers at the lower stocking rate (455 kg) was higher than that of the steers at the higher rate (419 kg). The LW was also higher for steers under continuous grazing (448 kg) than for those in the deferred grazing treatment (426 kg).
Citation
Cardoso, Esther G.; Euclides, V.P B.; and Da Silva, J.M, "Stockpiling of Brachiaria decumbens for Steer Maintenance During the Dry Season" (2025). IGC Proceedings (1993-2023). 16.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/igc/1993/session55/16
Included in
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Stockpiling of Brachiaria decumbens for Steer Maintenance During the Dry Season
A Brachiaria decumbens pasture was evaluated in a factorial experiment (2 stocking rates and 2 pasture managements). Eight steers averaging 370 kg live weight (LW) were allocated to the paddocks at the beginning of the wet season ( 1 December). For the deferred management treatment, half of the area was closed off at the end of the rainy season ( 15 March to 15 June) for utilisation as stockpiled feed during the dry season (15 June to 30 October). B. decumbems was capable of fattening Nellore steers during the rainy ·season, but maintained steer live weight (LW) only in the dry season at a stocking rate of 1 head/ha. Stockpiling did not contribute to LW maintenance when compared with continuous grazing. Yearly average LW of the steers at the lower stocking rate (455 kg) was higher than that of the steers at the higher rate (419 kg). The LW was also higher for steers under continuous grazing (448 kg) than for those in the deferred grazing treatment (426 kg).