36 research outputs found
RelaçÔes planta-animal em ambiente pastoril heterogĂȘneo: padrĂ”es de deslocamento e uso de estaçÔes alimentares
Manejo do milheto em pastoreio rotativo para maximizar a taxa de ingestĂŁo por vacas leiteiras
PadrÔes de uso do tempo por novilhos em pastagem consorciada de azevém anual e aveia-preta
PadrÔes de deslocamento e procura por forragem de novilhas leiteiras em pastagem de capim-mombaça
Conservative Response and StressâDamage Interactions in Cotton Reproductive Development
The effect of the density and physical properties of grass stems on the foraging behaviour and instantaneous intake rate by cattle grazing an artificial reproductive tropical sward
in reproductive swards, stems appear to act as vertical or horizontal barriers to bite formation, influencing instantaneous intake rate (IIR). The hypothesis was tested that the stems' barrier effect is determined by the physical properties and density of stems. Artificial microswards, consisting of 20-cm leaves and 15-cm stems of Panicum maximum, were offered to three steers (362 kg) in a factorial combination of three stem densities (0, 100 and 400 stems m(-2)) and two levels of stem tensile resistance [low (LTRS) and high tensile-resisting stems (HTRS)]. LTRS were not a barrier to defoliation and did not affect bite depth and bite mass. HTRS acted as both a horizontal barrier and a vertical barrier depressing bite depth (13.4, 13.6 and 5.1 cut for 0, 100 and 400 stems m(-2), respectively), bite area (89.3, 50.8 and 47.6 cm(2) for 0, 100 and 400 stems M-2, respectively), bite mass (0.51, 0.29 and 0.11 g for 0, 100 and 400 stems m(-2), respectively) and IIR (23.8, 10.5 and 3.6 g sec(-2) for 0, 100 and 400 Stems m(-2), respectively). The results confirmed the importance of the density and physical properties of stems as determinants of the stems' barrier effect on bite dimensions and IIR