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Live-weight gains of Holstein × Zebu heifers grazing a Cratylia argentea/Toledo-grass (Brachiaria brizantha) association in the Mexican humid tropics

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Abstract

The legume Cratylia argentea associated to Brachiaria brizantha—Toledo-grass (Bb + Ca) and Toledo-grass alone (Bb) were evaluated under grazing conditions by Holstein × Zebu heifers. Three evaluation periods during three consecutive years, were performed. We measured, daily live-weight gains of heifers (DWG, g/day); biomass dry matter (BDM, kg/ha) at beginning and end of each grazing period. On plant samples, were measured percentages of crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), lignin, in situ DM degradability (ISDMD), and voluntary biomass DM intake (VBI, g/LW0.75) using the Cr2O3/in situ indigestibility technique. A completely randomized design was applied, using heifers as experimental units for DWG gains and VBI. At the beginning of the grazing, the BDM for Bb + Ca and Bb–considering the three periods-averaged, 3065 and 936 kg/ha, respectively. Crude protein content of C. argentea was around 20 %; and for Bb + Ca or Bb, ranged from 8.7 to 4.6 %. In either treatment, in situ DM degradability averaged 72.6 % (P ≥ 0.05), regardless of the botanical component type. Biomass DM intake was 83.02 (Bb + Ca) and 89.22 (Bb) g/LW0.75. The DWG gains (g/heifer) for Bb + Ca and Bb were (per period): 829 and 574 (first); 469 and 118 (second); and 534 and 508 (third). This study showed that the Bb + Ca association was better to improve the daily gain of F1 Holstein × Zebu heifers, as compared to Bb alone. Also, C. argentea associated to a low to medium-quality grass improved the nutritional value of the diet without affecting the biomass DM intake.

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Acknowledgments

The Dirección General de Asuntos del Personal Académico (DGAPA, UNAM), gave partial financial support through the program Apoyo a Proyectos de Investigación e Innovación Tecnológica (PAPIIT), to the Project IN202410-3 (Comprehensive evaluation of the shrub legume Cratylia argentea for tropics with prolonged periods of drought). M.N. González-Arcia, E. Camacho-Calleja, K. Galicia-Villegas and S. Benito-Cruz, for their invaluable help in field and laboratory activities.

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  1. Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Centro de Enseñanza, Investigación y Extensión en Ganadería Tropical (CEIEGT), Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Km 5.5 Carretera Martínez de la Torre-Tlapacoyan, 93600, Martínez de la Torre, Veracruz, Mexico

    Braulio Valles-de la Mora, Epigmenio Castillo-Gallegos, Miguel Á. Alonso-Díaz, Eliazar Ocaña-Zavaleta & Jesús Jarillo-Rodríguez

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  1. Braulio Valles-de la Mora
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  2. Epigmenio Castillo-Gallegos
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  3. Miguel Á. Alonso-Díaz
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Correspondence to Epigmenio Castillo-Gallegos.

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Valles-de la Mora, B., Castillo-Gallegos, E., Alonso-Díaz, M.Á. et al. Live-weight gains of Holstein × Zebu heifers grazing a Cratylia argentea/Toledo-grass (Brachiaria brizantha) association in the Mexican humid tropics. Agroforest Syst 91, 1057–1068 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-016-9980-5

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