Search

This study assessed the effect of protected nitrate on methane emissions, energy utilization, and nitrogen balance in Brangus steers. Nine housed steers were assigned to one of three treatments that differed in a non- protein nitrogen source: urea (control), protected nitrate (NP), and free nitrate (NL). The experiment was performed in three periods by using a 3x3 Latin square design repeated three times. No animal showed signs of nitrate intoxication. NP steers reduced the intake and digestibility of dry matter, protein, and gross energy. Dietary nitrates reduced methane production by 23%. Nitrate levels of 3% in dry matter were safe for steer diets. In conclusion, the nitrate protection method presented here reduced dry matter intake, nitrogen retention, digestibility, and energy utilization efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To quantify the concentration and consumption of the protein fragments (NPN, TP, RDTP, SDTP, NDIP, and ADIP) present in the diet supplied to cattle, and its effect on the digestibility of crude protein. Materials and methods. Diets offered to Chino Santandereano cattle in stables were analyzed, receiving different levels of supplementation, using four animals in the 4x4 Latin square outline, the treatments being: NS, not supplemented; LOW, supplemented with an amount relative to 0.5% of body weight; MEDIUM, supplemented with an amount relative to 1.0% of body weight; HIGH, supplemented with a quantity relative to 1.5% of body weight. Consumption was determined daily, and digestibility through total stool collection in the last two days of each period. Results. A higher concentration of crude protein was found in supplement compared to grass (p<0.001), the forage exhibiting a higher concentration of CPNPN (p<0.001), at the same time, that the supplement presented higher concentration of TP (p<0.001) and RDTP (p=0.027). Supplemented animals presented higher consumption of CP, CPNPN (p=0.037), TP, NDIP, RDTP, ADIP and SDTP (p<0.05), however, when the concentration that represents the consumption of ADIP in the consumption of CP was determined, no difference was observed between supplemented and NS (p=0.078). Higher digestibility of CP was found in supplemented animals when contrasted with NS (p<0.001), an upward linear effect was observed between supplemented treatments as the level of supplementation increased. Conclusions. Supplementation improves the digestibility of crude protein by providing a greater amount of highly digestible nitrogenous fragments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective was to compare consumption of dry matter (CMS) of Mucuna fruit (M. deeringiana), forages of ramón (B. alicastrum), jabín (P. piscipula), and Moringa (M. oleifera) in Collared Peccary male adults (P. tajacu). The study was carried out in two parts, the first one was executed with Latin square design (DCL) 4×4 with two repetitions, and three forages with ground Mucuna fruit were offered. In the second part, the preferred forage was eliminated in the first test and DCL 3×3 was applied. Variance analysis was used for 4×4 and 3×3 DCL respectively, and Tukey test between means. Linear regression models were adjusted between the CMS and nutrient contents of each forage. The CMS in the first part showed a significant difference between the Moringa forages and the rest of them. In the second test, the CMS presented a significant difference between Ramón and the two remaining forages. Three linear regression models were highly significant, between CMS and crude protein content (PC), neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and total phenols (FT). It is concluded that peccaries have the preference for M. oleifera, which has the highest values in PC, FT and the lowest in NDF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An experiment was carried out under field conditions on a Lixiviated Red Ferralític soil, with the objective of evaluating the effect of three strains of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on the growth and development of guinea grass (Panicum maximum cv, Likoni). Four treatments were studied (control and the inoculation of AMF strains Glomus hoi-like, Glomus mosseae and Glomus intraradices) arranged in a Latin square design. The mycorrhizal formulation was applied at sowing by the seed recovering method with an equivalent dose to 10 % of its weight. The guinea grass was cut every each six and eight weeks in the rainy and dry seasons, respectively, evaluating in each cut the percentages of root colonization and visual density, as well as height, biomass nutrient contents and dry matter yield. With the inoculation of the strain Glomus hoi-like, the highest colonization and visual density levels and NPK contents were obtained in the air biomass. This strain also produced the biggest height and tiller diameter and dry matter yields of the guinea grass. Among the evaluated strains, Glomus hoi-like showed the highest indexes of efficiency and participation in grass nutrition. According to the exposed results, the strain Glomus hoi-like was effective to improve the nutritional status and dry matter yields of the guinea grass cultivated in this type of soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]