DRY MATTER AND NUTRIENT INTAKE AND DIET COMPOSITION IN Leucaena leucocephala – BASED INTENSIVE SILVOPASTORAL SYSTEMS

Abstract

Knowledge of forage intake and grazing selectivity is vital to improve the use of feed resources by grazing animals. To estimate forage selectivity and intake by steers grazing in intensive silvopastoral systems (ISS) under tropical dry forest (bs-T) conditions. Intake was evaluated using the n-alkane technique in: 1) a Leucaena leucocephala (over 10000 shrubs/ha) and Megathyrsus maximus ISS system and, 2) a M. maximus monoculture system. Eight steers with an average weight of 248±23.1 kg live weight were evaluated. Animals grazing in the ISS system had greater dry matter intake (26.1 vs. 20.4 g kg-1 d-1 of BW, P = 0.044) and had greater intake (g d-1; P ≤ 0.02) of crude protein (954 vs. 499), calcium (62.1 vs. 36.2) and fat (94.2 vs. 69.6) than those grazing in the M. maximus monoculture system, respectively. Compared to conventional pastures, DMI of animals grazing in ISS increases, contributing to greater animal productivity.