Abstract 519

Fonseca,DM-da; Escuder,-CJ

Empresa de Pesquisa Agropecuaria de Minas Gerais, 30 000 Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.

Revista-daSociedade-Brasileira-deZootecnia. 1983, 12: 1, 11-24; 16 ref.

In a trial at Janauba, the relationship between stocking rate, liveweight gain/animal and per ha was studied on buffel grass pasture. Stocking rates were 0.8, 1.2, 1.6, 2.0, 2.4 or 2.8 animals/ha. Grazing by Zebu steers with an initial av. wt. of 270 kg was continuous from Aug. 1976 to May 1980. New groups of animals were used each yr. Herbage availability was determined by cutting at a ht. of 5 cm, and DM and CP contents were determined. Liveweight gain/animal decreased linearly with increased stocking rate with the exception of 1976-7. Av. daily liveweight gains/animal for the 4 yr were 540, 555, 429, 374, 361 and 286 g for the 6 stocking rates, resp. Herbage availability decreased from 1.41 t/ha initially to 167 kg DM/ha with 2.8 animals/ha at the end of the trial. A stocking rate of more than 1.6 animals/ha caused pasture deterioration.