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Under dry conditions the establishment of eight varieties of Cenchrus purpureus, obtained by crossing and tissue culture in the Institute of Animal Science, Cuba, was evaluated. A random block design with five replications was applied. The varieties were: 115 (control), 442, 423, 30, H-48, 457, H-31 and 452. The highest number of stems/bunch was observed in materials H-31 (8.1), 452 (8.2), 423 (7.6) and H-48 (7.5) and the highest percentage of dead stems (P = 0.0002) at 423 (22%) and H-48 (15%). The varieties with the highest height (P <0.0001) were the 30 (170.0cm), 457 (160.4 cm) and H-48 (156.4cm), and had lower height 442 (89.8cm). The highest number of leaves (P <0.0001) was observed in H-31 (231.7) and 452 (210.1) and the lowest in 30 (102.4). The percentage of green leaf of the total (P <0.0001) was higher for the H-31 (51.3%) and the lowest for 115 (30.3%), 423 (29.9%) and H-48 (31.2%). The highest number of internodes per stem was found in 115 (16.4), followed by 30 (13.7), and was lower in 442 (6.9) and 452 (8.7) (P <0.0001). The best yield (P = 0.0010) was 442 (7.1t / ha DM), and the worst was 115 (2.1t / ha DM) and 457 (1.7t / ha DM). In 442, 451 and H-31 outstanding values in several of the evaluated indicators were registered. This was not the case for H-48 and 30. It is concluded that the varieties studied showed differences in their growth at the establishment time, although this was not affected. It is recommended to continue the evaluation under cutting or grazing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to evaluate the animal response of a ruminal protein activator in animals which intake a Tetrachne dregei summer grass, differed from autumn and ripe, with the purpose of improving the forages intake and the in vivo dry matter digestibility, two doses of a ruminal protein activator (200 and 400 g. head.d-1) and a control without the activator in 280 kg steers were studied in a metabolism shed. These animals received Tetrachne dregei controlled in a completely randomized design with three treatments, three repetitions and four sampling days for food intake and feces collection measurements. The average composition was of 5.7 and 40.6 % of crude protein, 73.1 and 32.5 % of neutral detergent fiber, for Tetrachne dregei and the ruminal protein activator, respectively. It was estimated 77.52 % of degradable protein in the activator. The control animals, only fed with Tetrachne dregei had lower total dry matter intake, forage dry matter intake and dry matter digestibility with respect to the treated groups(P <0.001), without significant differences. The total dry matter intake, dry matter digestibility and the digestible dry matter intake, was increased in 18.9, 9.3 and 33.6 % respectively, compared to that obtained in the treated animals, (P <0.001) and the forage dry matter intake in 14.5 % (P <0.002), but there were not significant differences between doses. The ruminal protein activator achieved high response to low doses, when increasing the intake of digestible organic matter and degradable protein significantly in 34 and 50 %, respectively (P <0.001). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To characterize morphoagronomical and quality indicators of Megathyrsus maximus cv. Likoni, Mombaza and Tanzania in the dry period, a random block design with five replications and three treatments which corresponding to the studied varieties was used. Plots of 5x7 m were sown and the cutting height was of 10 cm above soil level. The study was developed during two consecutive years. The determined indictors were: dry matter content of the whole plant, height, dry matter yield, morphological composition, length and width of leaves, number of tillers and number of plants/m2. The quality indicators of plants were also analyzed: crude protein, neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber. Mombaza and Tanzania had the highest yields (P < 0.001) during the first year, with values of 3.84 and 3.94 t/ha, respectively, while Likoni and Tanzania showed the highest yields(P < 0.001) in the second year (2.49 and 2.46 t/ha, respectively). The Likoni variety showed the lower (P < 0.001) leaves percentage (65.42 % and 67.84 %) and higher (P < 0.001) of stems (34.58 % and 20.47 %) during the first and second year, respectively. The quality indicators: crude protein, EE, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, lignin, cellulose, hemicelluloses and in vitro dry matter digestibility showed no differences between varieties. It is concluded that the plants studied had an adequate agroproductive performance under the edphoclimatic and management conditions in which the study was carried out. The Mombaza and Tanzania varieties are a good option to counteract the lack of food in the dry period because of its higher leaves proportion, which provides a higher quality to the food. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The plant Páramo grasslands ecosystem characterization was carried out by means of field expeditions to eight protected areas that Ecuador maintains through the Ministry of Environment. The expeditions were carried out every two months during three years, to evaluate in situ the botanical composition, frequency, density, height, basal cover and aerial cover. The observations were registered during two periods per year, at 60, 90, 120, 150 and 180 d, for a total of 36 evaluations in each study place. The soil pH varied between 5.0 and 8.5, it is volcanic, with sandy and loamy characteristics. The identified species in the Ecuadorians heathlands were: 169 plants with forage importance, 90 grasses, 14 legumes, 28 compounds and 37 belonging to Equitaceas, Oxalidaceas, Liliaceas, Scrophulariaceas, Rosaceas, Ciperaceas, Poligonaceas, Plantaginaceas, Arbustivas, Orchideaceas, Ranunculaceas and Gentianaceas. A total of eighteen species showed good performance, when locating, at least, in a place. Those of great persistence and adaptation were Agrostis breviculmis, Agrostis exigua, Arrhenatherum pratensis, Arrhenatherum elatius, Bromus lanatus, Bouteloua curtipendula, Calamagrostis bolanderi, Calamagrostis tarmensis, Digitaria floridona, Eragrostis curvula, Euchlaena mexicana, Festuca weberbaueri, Holcus lanatus, Paspalum plicatulum, Paspalum bomplandianum, Poa pratensis, Stipa plumeris and Stipa plumosa. For the production of green and dry forage, respectively, the best were Euchlaena mexicana, with 25.9 and 6.7 t/ha/cut, and Arrhenatherum elatius, with 24.4 and 6.9 t/ha/cut; also Arrhenatherum pratense, with 23.0 and 6.1 t/ha/cut and Stipa plumeris, with 21.9 and 6.8 t/ha/cut. There was great plants biodiversity that can be use for animal feeding, which is observed from other studies of chemical composition and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research was carried out in the Ecuadorian Páramo grasslands, between 2900 and 4200 m o.s.l, in Loja, Zamora Chinchipe, Azuay, Cañar, Chimborazo, Bolívar, Tungurahua, Cotopaxi, Pichincha, Imbabura and Carchi provinces. For the identification and taxonomical classification of species there were taken herborized samples and identified by agrostologists. The Hitchcock, Gould, Lombardo and Tovar taxonomic keys were used for the identification. From the grasses family, in the eight study places, 90 species were identified, including 37 genus, being the mains, with higher number of species: Festuca (14), Paspalum (10), Agrostis (7), Calamagrostis (7), Bromus (6), Stipa (5), Poa (5), Agropirum (3), Arrhenatherum (2), Brisa (2) and Andropogon (2).The species that prevailed in the study places were: Agrostis breviculmis, Agrostis exigua, Bromus lanatus, Calamagrostis tarmensis, Festuca humilior, Festuca ortophylla, Festuca weberbaueri and Paspalum bomplandianum. The diversity indexes of the existent meadow species showed values from mean (0.72) to high (0.90), as for their uniformity. This allowed determining that the biodiversity is variable, according to the environmental conditions of the studied Páramo grassland ecosystems. Similar performance was obtained for trees grasses species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]