Forage biomass and bovine live weight changes within monospecific and mixed prairies over the dry season in tropical Mexico

摘要

In the tropical systems of cattle grazing, the limited period of forage production and low forage protein content and digestibility of the same, are the main constraints to increasing live weight gain. Grass-legume pasture improves forage quantity andquality and sowing mixed swards in both the wet and dry tropics is now common practice. However, much less is known if inclusion of a fodder tree as a third component could further improve forage parameters. The aim of this study was to evaluate three types of grasslands, grazed by cattle in the dry season of the dry tropics. Swards were established to compare: grass only (PP), grass-legume (PA) and silvo-pastoral (PSP) pastures on basis of forage on-offer, residual and disappeared and bullock's dailylive-weight gain. Species used were: Andropogon gayanus Kunth, Clitoria ternatea Linn and Morus alba Linn.