Productive performance of buffaloes in silvopastoral systems in the Brazilian Amazonia

Abstract

In this work the productive performance of buffaloes was evaluated under grasslands submitted to different conditions of natural shading in the Brazilian^’s Amazonia. The experimental design was completely randomized with three treatments (T1 - buffaloes maintained in paddocks without shading; T2 - buffaloes maintained in paddocks with partial shading constituted by native forest and, T3 - buffaloes maintained in paddocks under total shading constituted by mature rubber). The trees of the rubber had, approximately, 12 years old and were established in spacing of 3.0 x 7.0 m. In all treatments the grassland was constituted by Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu. During the dry period (June to September), the largest weight gains were verified in the T3 (0.575 kg/an/day and 34.5 kg/ha) and T2 (0.472 kg/an/day and 28.3 kg/ha), which didn't differ to each other (P>0.05). With relationship to the gain/ha, the higher value was obtained with the T1 (68.69 kg/ha). During the rainy period (October to May), the weight gains/an/day and for animal/period they were not affected (P>0.05) by the appraised treatments. However, the largest weight/ha gain was registered in the T1 (215.0 kg/ha). On the average, the stocking rates and the dry matter available were of 0.97; 0.70 and 0.80 UA/ha and, 1.86; 1.82 and 1.75 t/ha, respectively for T1, T2 and T3.