Thursday, November 8, 2007 - 9:45 AM
339-4

Performance of Beef Heifers Grazing Stockpiled Limpograss Pastures and Receiving Cottonseed Meal Supplementation or Part-Time Grazing Annual Ryegrass.

Joao Vendramini, Rafael Farias, and John Arthington. Range Cattle Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Ona, FL 33865

Limpograss [( Hermathria altissima (Poir.) Stapf & C.E. Hubb.] is an important perennial forage in Florida because of its adaptation to poorly drained sites, relatively high digestibility, and better cool-season growth than other warm-season grasses. The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of heifers grazing stockpiled limpograss pastures supplemented with cottonseed meal or part-time grazing ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.). The experiment was conducted at the Range Cattle Research and Education Center – Ona, FL from Oct 3 2006 to May 15 2007. Twelve 0.5 ha limpograss pastures were staged at 10 cm stubble height and fertilized with 60 kg N ha -1 on Oct. 3 2006 and stockpiled from Oct. 3 2006 to Feb. 19 2007. Pastures were grazed from Feb. 19 to May 15 2007. Three yearling heifers were assigned to each pasture. Treatments were three supplementation rates, 0, 1.1, 2.2 kg d -1 head-1 of cottonseed meal (CSM), or part-time grazing ryegrass on a completely randomized design with three replicates. Ryegrass pastures were planted on Nov. 20 2006 and fertilized with 30 kg N ha-1 on Dec. 8 2006. Heifers were allowed to graze ryegrass three 24-h periods during the week (Mon, Wed, and Fri.). Ryegrass pastures were 0.4 ha. There was no difference in limpograss herbage mass (1600 kg ha-1), allowance (1.0 kg DM kg LW-1), and accumulation (17 kg ha-1d-1) among treatments. Ryegrass average herbage mass and accumulation was 2500 kg ha-1, and 20 kg ha-1d-1, respectively. Heifers part-time grazing ryegrass had a greater ADG than heifers receiving 0 or 1.1 kg CSM d-1, but there was no difference on ADG of heifers grazing part-time ryegrass and supplemented with 2.2 kg CSM d-1. Part-time grazing ryegrass may be an economical viable option for beef cattle supplementation in the southeast US.

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