 | Abstract 527Fodder production in the subtropics - an example of a project from Brazil.Ritter,-W Caixa Postal 181, 88.500 Lages, S.C., Brazil. Entwicklung-+-Landlicher-Raum. 1983, 17: 5, 12-14; 4 ref. Problems of beef production in the Lages region of Santa Catarina are outlined. In native pastures the dominance of summer-growing grasses such as Paspalum notatum, P. dilatatum, Rottboellia selloana, Schizachyrium tenerum and Eragrostis mesopotamica is maintained by selective grazing and winter burning and stocking rates are limited by the winter carrying capacity of the pastures. Possibilities for improving fodder supplies by using winter pastures of annuals such as Avena strigosa, rye or Italian ryegrass or perennials such as Phalaris aquatica, with white clover, red clover or birdsfoot trefoil, or by growing maize, sorghum or pearl millet for silage are discussed. In trials of alternatives to improving natural pastures, sowing 25% of the total area with winter pasture of white and red clover, birdsfoot trefoil and Italian ryegrass increased liveweight production by 256 kg/ha in the 1st yr; using 25% of the area for silage maize followed by Italian ryegrass for winter grazing gave increases of 280 kg/ha and broadcast oversowing of legumes over the whole area increased production by 168 kg/ha. Promising tropical legumes for improvement of natural grasslands are listed. This abstract relates to the following species:
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