Some considerations on the nutritional requirements of tropical forage grasses

Abstract

Over the years have studied soils, forage crops and nutrition of ruminants separately. However the soil-plant-animal is complex and interdependent, which can lead to failure of the production system if the inclusion of forage is inadequate. When thinking about deployment or persistence of cultivated pastures of the main factors to take into consideration is the adequate supply of nutrients in the soil, thus ensuring an adequate plant growth. Lack or non-application of these nutrients contributes to accelerate the degradation of cultivated pastures, hence the decrease in live weight gain per area. However, it is important to determine the levels of these critical elements so you can do a job without any kind of degradation. The deficiency of these nutrients in the soil will be a determining factor in the physical structure (thin stems, stunted, and somewhat resistant to tipping, while the leaves are small, yellowish, or yellow-orange, with necrotic spots on the tips and margins increased intensity drying of leaves), yield (dry matter) and quality (protein). The objectives of this review are to discuss the nutritional requirements of the species of grasses of the genera Panicum, Brachiaria, Andropogon, Cynodon, Pennisetum and Cenchrus, and their respective peculiarities, that affect forage production.