Effects of pasture recuperation times on forage yield and chemical composition of Brachiaria brizantha cv. Xaraés

Abstract

An experiment was conducted in Porto Velho, Rondônia, with the purpose of determining the best time for pasture recuperation and utilization of the forage accumulated of Brachiaria brizantha cv. Xaraés for herd supplementation during the dry season. The experimental design was randomized complete blocks (split-plot) with three replicates. The periods of recuperation began on February 28, March 28 and April 28 and constituted the main plots and, the utilization months (June 30, July 30, August 30 and September 30) the subplots. The data indicate the feasibility of differing grazing of the grass, during the rainy season, to provide forage for herd supplementation in the dry season. For utilizations in June or July, the stockpiled in February provided the higher green dry matter (GDM) yields, while with utilization in August or September the stockpiled in March was the more productive. The grass, irrespective of differing dates, showed significatives reductions (P < 0.05) in crude protein (CP) contents and in vitro GDM digestibility (IVGDMD) toward the later utilization time, however the higher CP yields were obtained with stockpiled in March and utilizations in July or August. Recuperation starting in March or April and utilized in June produced forage with better IVGDMD coefficients. In order to obtain greater forage yields with better quality, it is suggested that recuperation begin in February for pasture utilization in June; March for pasture utilization in July and August and, in April for pasture utilization in September.