Author

Muhammad Mukhtar

Subject

- Peternakan

Abstract

An intensive rotational grazing system for dwarf and late heading (DL) elephantgrass (pennisetum purpureum Schumach) pasture was examined in a summer period for two years following establishment. Four 0.05 of DL elephantgrass pasture (20 x 25) were establishment on May 2003. They were rotationally grazed for 1 week, followed by a 3-week rest period by three breeding or raising beef cattle for three and six cycles during the first and second year of establishment respectively. Before grazing, the plant height. Leaf area index and the ratio of leaf blade to stem were at the highest, while tiller number increased and herbage mass tended to increase, except for the first grazing cycle both years and for one paddock in the second year. Herbage consumption, the rate of herbage consumption and dry matter intake tended to decrease in three paddocks from the first to the third cycle in the first year, but increase as grazing occurred in the second year. Dry matter intake average 10.2 – 14.5 and 15.4 – 23.2 g DM/kg/live weight (LW)/day over the four paddocks in the first and second year, respectively, and average daily gains were 0.09 and 0.35 kg/head/day in the first and second year respectively. The carrying capacities were estimated at 1.016 and 208 cow-days (CD)/ha (annual total, 1.224 CD/Ha) in the first year and 1.355 and 207 CD/Ha (annual total 1.562 CD/Ha) in the second year. Thus, DL elephantgrass pasture can expand the grazing period for beef cows for the following two-year establsihment

Publisher

Animal Production Jurnal (Scientific Jurnal of Farm Animals and Feed Resouces in The Tropic, Faculty of Animal Science Jenderal Sudirman University in Collaboration with Indonesian Society of Animal S

Contributor

First Author

Publish

2011

Material Type

ARTIKEL

Right

-