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Feeding Systems with Legumes to Intensify Dairy Farms - cgiar

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Application of the Model <strong>to</strong> Research Results at the<br />

Quilichao Station<br />

Data were collected from several trials <strong>with</strong> crossbred cows grazing<br />

Brachiaria decumbens at three s<strong>to</strong>cking rates (2, 3, and 4 AU/ha) and<br />

supplemented <strong>with</strong> sugarcane and varying levels of Cratylia argentea.<br />

Chemical composition included NDF, CP, lignin, IVDMD, and DM for B.<br />

decumbens, sugarcane, and Cratylia for all trials. However, it was not<br />

possible <strong>to</strong> perform two important analyses that are also required by the<br />

model: solubility of protein (solP) and non-protein nitrogen (NPN). Thus,<br />

<strong>with</strong>out these values it was not possible <strong>to</strong> calculate the protein and<br />

carbohydrate fractions. As an alternative, the values of solP and NPN for B.<br />

decumbens generated by a PhD student at Cornell for the gulf coast of<br />

Mexico were used in order <strong>to</strong> run the model as well as those for Gliricidia<br />

sepium (<strong>to</strong> emulate Cratylia) and for sugarcane available in literature.<br />

Other data from Avila (1999) included environmental and management<br />

variables. Tables 1 <strong>to</strong> 3 include composition of diets, forage consumption<br />

and availability, and actual milk yields vs. those predicted by the model.<br />

Table 1. Chemical composition of Brachiaria decumbens, sugarcane, and<br />

Cratylia argentea for the different trials at Quilichao, Colombia.<br />

Composition Brachiaria<br />

decumbens<br />

Intermediate s<strong>to</strong>cking rate (3 AU/ha)<br />

79<br />

Sugarcane Cratylia<br />

argentea<br />

Dry matter (%) 35.0 30.5 33.5<br />

Crude protein (%) 4.4 2.1 22.4<br />

Neutral detergent fiber (%) 70.4 43.1 66.4<br />

Lignin (%) 3.4 5.3 17.4<br />

TDN (%) 52.0 66.1 48.7<br />

Low and high s<strong>to</strong>cking rate (2 and 4 AU/ha)<br />

Dry matter (%) 39.0 27.1 35.5<br />

Crude protein (%) 3.7 2.1 20.4<br />

Neutral detergent fiber (%) 69.0 43.1 63.4<br />

Lignin (%) 3.2 5.3 16.1<br />

TDN (%) 54.0 68.6 50.2

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