Agronomic characterization of sunflower cultivars for animal feeding in tropical conditions

This study was developed to examine morpho-agronomic traits of 18 sunflower cultivars and identify superior cultivars in terms of grain yield, forage quality, or both, for animal feeding. Twenty-two morpho-agronomic traits related to plant development and architecture; earliness of maturity; grain yield (achenes); dry matter yield; and dry matter content were evaluated. Cultivars Hélio 253, Hélio 358, Embrapa 122, BRS 321, and Hélio 360 showed inflorescence at the final stage. Aguará 4 showed the lowest flowering rate, characterizing it as late-maturing. For grain yield, cultivars Charrua, Olisun 3, BRS 321, Paraíso 103CL, Paraíso 65, Aguará 6, and CF 101 are recommended, as they showed the highest achene yields (average: 1,541.67 to 2,148.81 kg.ha−1, respectively). Cultivars Charrua, Hélio 251, Olisun 3, Hélio 360, Paraíso 55, and Paraíso 103CL exhibited higher dry matter yields (9,550.93 to 11,789.91 kg ha−1) and were thus indicated for forage production. Cultivars Charrua, Olisun 3, BRS 321, Paraíso 103CL, Paraíso 65, Aguará 6, and CF 101 are recommended for grain yield, for the diet of monogastric animals; Charrua, Hélio 251, Olisun 3, Hélio 360, Paraíso 55, and Paraíso 103CL for forage yield, for ruminant feeding; and Charrua, Olisun 3, and Paraíso 103CL for both purposes.

Biomass turnover in brachiaria cultivars in a tropical environment / Fluxo de biomassa em cultivares de brachiaria em ambiente tropical

The experiment was conducted to evaluate the morphogenetic traits of three Brachiaria cultivars (common, Llanero and Tupi) subjected to continuous grazing with variable stocking rate in the four seasons of the year. A randomized block design with five replicates was adopted. Tissue turnover evaluations were carried out in the summer, fall, winter and spring, with measurements taken every two days. Stem length and the length of each green leaf were measured. With these determinations, the following variables were calculated: stem elongation rate (cm/tiller/day), leaf elongation rate (cm/leaf/day), number of live leaves per tiller and phyllochron (days/leaf). The highest leaf appearance rate was obtained by Tupi grass in the summer, and the lowest by Llanero grass in the winter. The lowest phyllochron, 5.90 days/leaf, was obtained by Tupi grass in the winter, whereas in commercial cultivars Llanero and common the average phyllochron was 9.04 and 10.04 days/leaf, respectively. Because of the effect of the transition from the dry season to the beginning of rains in the summer, this was the period of greatest variations in results among the different cultivars. Llanero grass stood out for the highest values for plant, tiller and leaf lengths, resulting from greater stem and leaf elongation rates. Tupi grass had the worst performance of all cultivars.

O experimento foi realizado com o objetivo de avaliar as características morfogenéticas de três cultivares de Brachiaria humidicola (common, Llanero e Tupi), submetido a pastejo contínuo, em quatro estações do ano. Foi utilizado delineamento em blocos casualizados, com cinco repetições. As avaliações do volume de tecido vegetal foram realizadas no verão, outono, inverno e primavera, e as medidas foram tomadas a cada dois dias. Determinaram-se o comprimento da haste e o comprimento de cada lâmina de folha verde. Com essas determinações, foram calculados: taxa de alongamento (cm / perfilho / dia), taxa de alongamento foliar (cm / folha / dia), número de folhas vivas por perfilho e filocromo (dia / folha). A maior taxa de aparecimento de folhas foi obtida na grama Tupi no período de verão, e o menor aparecimento ocorreu no cultivar Llanero, durante o inverno. O menor filocromo (5,90 dias / folha) foi verificado no cultivar Tupi, no inverno, enquanto no cultivares Llanero e common o filocromo médio foi de 9,04 e 10,04 dias / folha, respectivamente. Devido ao efeito da transição, a partir da estação seca para o início das chuvas no verão, foi constatado que as maiores variações nos resultados dos diferentes cultivares, ocorreram nesta época. O cultivar, Llanero se destacou para os maiores valores da planta, resultante das maiores taxas de alongamento de caule e folhas. O cultivar Tupi teve o menor desempenho em comparação com os outros.

Correlation between Intake and Composition of Fatty Acids in Meat from Lambs Fed Diets Containing Soybean Hulls.

The present study aimed to evaluate the correlation between the composition of fatty acids in the diet and Longissimus dorsi muscle of lambs diets containing different levels of soybean. The experiment was conducted at the campus UESB, Itapetinga-Ba, Brazil. In a randomized design, twenty five male uncastrated male sheep were used. The treatments consisted of different levels of substitution of corn by soybean hulls (0, 25, 50, 75 and 100% replacement) and elephant grass silage as roughage was supplied the experimental period of 110 days. After this period, the animals were slaughtered and samples of Longissimus dorsi were collected and vacuum-packed for later analysis of the profile of fatty acids. The Pearson correlation coefficient was used to calculate the relationship between the composition of fatty acids consumed and intramuscular fatty acid content. The results demonstrated the existence positive correlation of moderate to strong between the consumed and the contained fatty acids in meat by increasing the content of conjugated linoleic acid, the acids from the n-3 and n-6 family reducing n-3 regarding the meat of lambs fed soybean hulls.

Degradação ruminal da silagem de capim-elefante aditivado com cana-de-açúcar e farelo de cacau / Ruminal degradation of elephant grass sillage added with sugarcane and cocoa meal

Objetivou-se avaliar a degradação ruminal da matéria seca (MS), da proteína bruta (PB) e da fibra em detergente neutro (FDN) das silagens de capim-elefante; capim-elefante ensilado com 30 por cento de cana-de-açúcar; 15 por cento de farelo de cacau; e 45 por cento de cana mais 15 por cento de farelo de cacau. Amostras de cada silagem foram incubadas no rúmen de três novilhos mestiços holandês x zebu durante os períodos de 0, 12, 24, 48, 72 e 96 horas. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o de parcelas subdivididas e os coeficientes não lineares a, b e c foram estimados por meio de procedimentos iterativos de Gauss-Newton. Para o capim-elefante ensilado com farelo de cacau, foram observados maiores valores da fração a da MS e da PB, próximos a 60 por cento, além de maiores taxas da degradação da fração b e da degradabilidade efetiva (DE) da PB para as taxas de passagem 2, 5 e 8 por cento h-1. As silagens que apresentaram as maiores frações não-degradáveis i da FDN foram as silagens de capim-elefante sem aditivo e com 30 por cento de cana, enquanto a silagem aditivada com 45 por cento de cana e 15 por cento de farelo de cacau destacou-se pela maior degradação potencial da MS, da PB e da FDN, em todos os períodos estudados, e maiores DE da MS e da PB para as taxas de passagem 2, 5 e 8 por cento h-1. A inclusão associada da cana-de-açúcar com o farelo de cacau, no momento da ensilagem do capim-elefante, apresenta-se como alternativa para aumentar a degradabilidade da forragem em estádio de crescimento avançado.

The objective was to evaluate the dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP) and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) ruminal degradation of silages of elephant grass; elephant grass ensiled with 30 percent of sugarcane; 15 percent of cocoa meal; and 45 percent of sugarcane plus 15 percent of cocoa meal. Samples of each silage were incubated in the rumen of three Holstein x Zebu crossbred steers during the periods of 0, 12, 24, 48, 72 and 96 hours. The experimental design used was the one of subdivided parcels and the non linear coefficients a, b and c were estimated through Gauss-Newton interactive procedures. For the elephant grass ensiled with cocoa meal, larger values of DM and CP fraction a were observed, next to 60 percent, besides the greatest b fraction degradation rates and effective degradability (ED) of CP to passage rates of 2, 5 and 8 percent h-1. The silages that showed the largest non-degradable i fractions of NDF were the elephant grass silages without additive and with 30 percent of sugarcane, while the silage addicted with 45 percent of sugarcane and 15 percent of cocoa meal showed up by the largest DM, CP and NDF potential degradation in all of the studied periods, and larger DM and CP ED for passage rates of 2, 5 and 8 percent h-1. The associated inclusion of sugarcane with cocoa meal at the moment of the elephant grass ensilage comes as an alternative to increase the degradability of forage in advanced growth stage.