 | Abstract 410Comparative evaluation of three grasses in pasture. II. With yearling calves at 2, 3.3 and 5 animals/ha.Alfonso,-A; Valdes,-LR; Duquesne,-P Estacion Experimental de Pastos y Forrajes "Indio Hatuey", Perico, Matanzas, Cuba. Pastos-y-Forrajes. 1984, 7: 3, 381-393; 16 ref. Yearling calves were grazed on unirrigated pastures of Digitaria decumbens cv. PA-32, Cynodon dactylon cv. Coastcross-1 and Panicum maximum cv. Comun at stocking rates of 2, 3.3 or 5 animals/ha. All treatments were fertilized with 150 kg N, 100 kg P and 100 kg K/ha year during the wet season. Annual liveweight gains/ha with cv. PA-32, Coastcross-1 and Comun were 399, 343 and 339 kg, resp., with 2 animals/ha, 500, 357 and 443 kg with 3.3 animals/ha and 619, 489 and 381 kg with 5 animals/ha. Av. daily liveweight gains/animal were 0.465-0.548, 0.296-0.415 and 0.209-0.339 kg with 2, 3.3 and 5 animals/ha, resp. Data on the chemical composition of the forage in the wet and dry seasons and on changes in pasture composition at different stocking rates are presented. It was concluded that PA-32 was most suitable for fattening of cattle but that Panicum spp. deserved further research. This abstract relates to the following species: |