Abstract 312

CIAT, Cali, Colombia.

CIAT Annual Report, Tropical Pastures Program. unda, 269-284. Cali, Colombia.

Stylosanthes capitata was used as a protein bank to provide complementary grazing (2000 m2/animal) for steers grazing burned savanna at 0.25 or 0.5 animals/ha. Total annual liveweight gain/animal was slightly less than previously obtained with protein banks of Pueraria phaseoloides. Persistence of S. capitata was poor because it was highly palatable and grazed throughout the year. A good grass/legume balance was maintained under complementary grazing of P. phaseoloides sown in strips in Brachiaria decumbens pasture. The potential animal production and opt. management of mixed swards comprising B. decumbens or B. humidicola with Desmodium ovalifolium were investigated. Liveweight gains of culled cows, growing heifers, fattening and growing steers continuously grazed at stocking rates of 1.38-2.32 animal units/ha on mixed pastures of Andropogon gayanus/S. capitata were studied.