Djalma Cordeiro dos Santos

Mineral fertilization effect on growth and chemical composition of cactus pear - clone IPA 20.

The study was carried out in the greenhouse of the “Instituto Agronômico de Pernambuco IPA”, located in Recife – PE. It aimed to evaluate the effects of P and K fertilization on growth and chemical composition of cactus pear IPA-20 clone. Four levels of P (0, 200, 400, and 800 kg P2O5 ha-1) and four levels of K (0, 200, 400, and 800 kg of K2O ha-1) were tested in a 4 x 4 factorial arrangement using a complete randomized block design. Observations were made at 28-d intervals, starting by the third month after planting and lasting until the sixth month of growth. Fresh matter yield of primary articles and total fresh matter yield were affected only by K fertilization (P < 0.05). Concentrations of N, K, Ca, Mg, and S in the cactus shoot were affected by P fertilization (P < 0.05), however, P concentration was not affected. Potassium fertilization affected (P < 0.05) only Ca and S concentrations. Average results for N, P, K, Ca, Mg, and S were 20.62, 4.75, 33.43, 34.43, 7.44, and 6.10 g kg-1, respectively. Fresh matter yield and dry matter concentration were affected only by K fertilization. Micronutrient concentration was not affected by P and K fertilization.

Substituição do milho por palma forrageira em dietas completas para vacas em lactação

The experiment was conduced to evaluate the effects of corn replacement for forage cactus on the performance of crossbreed lactating cows and nutrient digestibility. Eight cows were assigned a two latin square design in a factorial 2 x 2 arrangement (two forage cactus cultivars, with or without corn).There was not interaction between forage cactus and corn and the effect of both were analyzed in an isolated way. The intake of dry matter, organic matter, acid detergent fiber, crude protein, ether extract and total carbohydrates were not affected by the forage cactus. Animals that received giant cultivar presented larger neutral detergent fiber intake. The diets with corn presented larger dry matter intake (kg/day and % of LW). The intake of TDN, the coefficients of digestibility of all nutrients, the fat corrected milk production, fat content and kg of milk: dry matter intake ratio were not affected not by the forage cactus cultivars neither by the inclusion of corn.

Chemical Composition and Ruminal Degradability of Spineless Cactus Grown in Northeastern Brazil

Abstract A study was conducted to determine chemical composition and ruminal nutrient degradability of eight spineless cactus cultivars grown in northeastern Brazil. Results showed that neutral detergent fiber was similar for all cultivars and averaged 249 g · kg−1 ± 7.3 SEM. Acid detergent fiber ranged between 148 g · kg−1 and 207 g · kg−1 with some significant differences between cultivars. Starch and water-soluble carbohydrates were similar for all cultivars and averaged 198 g · kg−1 ± 6.3 SEM and 155 g · kg−1 ± 9.0 SEM, respectively. Protein content was less than 50 g · kg−1 with some significant differences between cultivars. Calcium was the mineral with the highest concentration followed by potassium and magnesium with no differences between cultivars. Effective ruminal degradability of dry matter and neutral detergent fiber were unaffected by cultivar and averaged 701 g · kg−1 ± 8.4 SEM and 503 g · kg−1 ± 5.8 SEM, respectively. It was concluded that cultivars had little impact on chemical composition and ruminal degradability of spineless cactus. Based on chemical composition and in situ ruminal degradability, spineless cactus can be considered an excellent source of fermentable carbohydrates for grazing and nongrazing ruminants. Because of its high carbohydrate quality, spineless cactus can be used an emergency feed or as part of a complete diet providing that the diet contains an adequate amount of degradable protein.

Milk and fat production of crossbred Holstein-Gir cows (Bos taurus taurus-Bos taurus indicus) in the agreste region of the Brazilian state of Pernambuco

The productive performance of four Holstein-Gir genetic groups (1/2H, 1/4H, 5/8H, 5/8Hinter se) and the effects of non-genetic factors on production traits was evaluated using a data set of 7,951 test-day samples collected between January 1980 and December 1999 from the Arcoverde Experimental Station in the Brazilian state of Pernambuco (Empresa Pernambucana de Pesquisa Agropecuaria). The statistical model included the fixed effects of calving year (1980 to 1999) and month (January to December), genetic group of the cow, age at months of calving (33 to 190) and days in milk at each test-day. Random effects were sire, cow and residual with test-days treated as repeated records within each cow within each lactation. For the four genetic groups the milk yield (MY) means were 1/2H = 8.61 kg ± 1.16 kg, 1/4H = 5.34 kg ± 0.46 kg, 5/8H = 7.42 kg ± 0.39 kg and 5/8Hinter se = 5.76 kg ± 0.46 kg; the fat yield (FY) means were 1/2H = 0.375 kg ± 0.052 kg, 1/4H = 0.231 kg ± 0.026 kg, 5/8H = 0.299 kg ± 0.025 kg and 5/8Hinter se = 0.231 kg ± 0.026 kg; and the fat percentage (FP) means were 1/2H = 4.45 kg ± 0.29%, 1/4H = 4.08 kg ± 0.12%, 5/8H = 3.87 kg ± 0.10% and 5/8Hinter se = 3.89 kg ± 0.12%. Phenotypic correlations between tests were MY = 0.97, FY = 0.94 and FP = 0.98. The best productive performance was for the 1/2H group, followed by the 5/8H group. The performance of the synthetic group was substantially below the performance of the 5/8H group.

Silagens e fenos em associação à palma forrageira para vacas em lactação. Consumo, digestibilidade e desempenho

The aim of the present experiment was to assess the effect of the association of the spineless cactus with sunflower silage, sorghum silage, leucena hay, pigeon pea hay or elephant grass hay on intake, apparent digestibility of nutrients and milk yield and composition in crossbred lactating cows. Five cows with average body weight and daily milk yield of 516.1 and 11.1kg, respectively. The intakes of dry matter, organic matter, crude protein, total carbohydrates and non-fibrous carbohydrates, milk yield, contents and yield (kg/day) of fat, protein and total solids of milk and digestibility of crude protein and non-fibrous carbohydrates were not influenced by the combination of the silage and hay with cactus. The ether extract intake, fat-corrected milk yield and feed efficiency were higher to treatment with sunflower silage compared to hays. The neutral detergent fiber intake was higher in the treatment with elephant grass hay compared to sunflower silage. Sunflower silage produced higher fat-corrected milk and better feed efficiency when compared to hay.

Dry matter intake and performance of Girolando and Guzerá heifers and Guzerá under supplementation in caatinga, during the rainy season, in Pernambuco, Brazil

To estimate dry matter intake and to evaluate variation on live weight of heifers, an experiment was conducted from March to July 2003, with the following supplementation strategies: no supplementation (control), cottonseed cake (1 kg); spineless cactus (10 kg); spineless cactus + 0.5 kg of cottonseed cake (5 kg). Dry matter intake of native pasture was not affected by supplementation, but it affected total dry matter intake. Intake of total dry matter (DM) differed among breeds with values of 5.44 and 6.75 kg/day, respectively for Guzerat and Girolando breeds. For animal fed cottonseed cake supplementation, total DM intake was higher than in the control group (no supplementation), however, it was similar for those under spineless cactus and cottonseed cake + spinelles cactus supplementation. Daily average body weight gain (517 and 434 g/animal, respectively, for Girolando and Guzerat groups) did not differ among breeds neither was affected by breed o supplementation interaction. However, among strategies of suplementation, values were significantly different and they were 412, 620, 371 and 498 g/animal/day, respectively, for control and cottonseed cake suplementation group; spineless cactus; cottonseed cake + spineless cactus. In Pernambuco semiarid, 1 kg of cottonseed cake supplementation improved daily average weight gain, regardless to breed of the animal during the rainy season.

Estratégias para Uso de Cactáceas em Zonas Semiáridas: Novas Cultivares e Uso Sustentável das Espécies Nativas

No Semiarido brasileiro, os anos mais secos do que a media historica de precipitacao tem se agrupado em periodos de tres a quatro anos e ocorrem a cada tres ou quatro decadas. Instabilidades estas que vem se acentuando nas ultimas decadas, tornando tambem instaveis os sistemas de producao agropecuario da regiao. Fato este que aumenta a importância de cultivo de forrageiras xerofilas nestas areas, entre elas destaca-se a palma forrageira. Diante disto e dos problemas fitossanitario que vem ocorrendo na regiao com esta cultura, crescente e a demanda por genotipos produtivos e adaptados para a referida regiao. Para atender tal demanda o Instituto Agronomico de Pernambuco/IPA em parceria com a Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco tem buscado por meio de seu Programa de Melhoramento da Palma Forrageira. Como resultado desse esforco pode-se citar a identificacao de novas cultivares de palma resistentes a praga cochonilha do carmim, as quais foram registrados no MAPA. Neste documento encontra-se a forma de obtencao desses novos genotipos, suas principais caracteristicas morfologicas e resultados preliminares de manejo das mesmas, bem como, de forma muito sucinta, a utilizacao de cactaceas nativas na alimentacao animal. DOI:10.15528/2176-4158/rcpa.v15n2p111-121

Substituição do farelo de soja pela mistura raspa de mandioca e uréia em dietas para vacas mestiças em lactação

This trial was conducted to investigate the replacement of soybean meal with a mixture of urea plus cassava scrapings on nutrient intake, digestibility, and production of crossbred lactating cows fed diets containing forage cactus (Opuntia ficus indica, Mill), sorghum silage, and concentrate. Eight crossbred holstein:zebu cows averaging 60±30 days in milk and initial body weight (BW) of 491 kg were randomly assigned to two replicated 4 × 4 Latin squares and were fed diets with increasing levels of urea plus cassava scrapings: 0, 33, 67 or 100%. Replacing soybean meal with urea plus cassava scrapings linearly decreased the intakes of DM (kg, % BW and g/BW kg0.75), OM, CP, EE, NDF, and TC. However, the increasing dietary levels of urea plus cassava sacrapings did not affetc the intakes of NDF (% BW), ADF, NFC, and TDN. Apparent digestibilities of all nutrients showed significant quadratic effects with increasing urea plus cassava scrapings. Milk yield, milk yield corrected for 4.0% fat and milk fat yield all decreased linearly by 30, 20 and, 0.8 g/day, respectively, while fat content and feed efficiency, expressed as kg of 4.0% fat corrected milk/kg of DM, were not changed by decreasing soybean meal in the diet.

Aceitabilidade por novilhas Girolando e valor nutricional da palma orelha-de-elefante-mexicana armazenada por diferentes períodos

The objective of this work was to evaluate the nutritional value of erect prickly pear (EPP) (Opuntia stricta), stored for different periods, and its acceptability by Girolando heifers. Five heifers were distributed in a 5x5 Latin square. The treatments were as follows: EPP without storage time; stored EPP for three post-harvest periods – 7, 14, and 21 days; and cochineal nopal cactus (CNC) (Nopalea cochenillifera) without storage time, as a control treatment. The diets offered to the animals were composed of cacti of the different treatments, as well as sugarcane silage and soybean meal, and were evaluated for their chemical composition, intake, and nutrient digestibility. The ingestive behavior of the heifers was evaluated. The cactus EPP did not differ from the CNC for organic matter, crude protein, neutral detergent fiber corrected for ash and protein, nonfibrous carbohydrates, total carbohydrates, ether extract, and mineral matter; however, EPP stored for different periods differed from CNC for dry matter and indigestible neutral detergent fiber. Heifer weights varied 1.35 kg with the low inclusion of concentrate in the diet. The cactus erect prickly pear maintains constant both its nutritional value and its acceptability to Girolando heifers, after storage for different periods up to 21 days.

Desempenho Leiteiro de Vacas Alimentadas com Palma Forrageira, Bagaço de Cana-de-Açúcar e Uréia Associados a Diferentes Suplementos

Objetivou-se avaliar a associacao da palma forrageira ao bagaco de cana-de-acucar e a ureia sobre a producao e composicao do leite em vacas de baixo potencial produtivo, suplementadas ou nao. Utilizaram-se cinco vacas da raca Girolando, primiparas, com media de producao de leite de 7,0 kg/dia, distribuidas aleatoriamente em delineamento quadrado latino 5 x 5. A racao controle (sem suplemento) foi composta de 67,4% de palma forrageira, 27,9% de bagaco de cana-de-acucar in natura, 2,7% de mistura ureia:sulfato de amonio (9:1) e 2,0% de mistura mineral, em base da MS. As vacas receberam suplementacao com base na PL (1,0 kg de suplemento/6,0 kg de leite). Os suplementos caracterizaram os tratamentos, juntos ao tratamento testemunha (controle), sendo: farelo de trigo, farelo de soja, farelo de algodao ou caroco de algodao. A proporcao dos ingredientes nas racoes para os animais suplementados foi, em media, 62,7% de palma forrageira, 26,0% de bagaco de cana-de-acucar, 2,5% de mistura ureia:sulfato de amonio, 1,9% de mistura mineral e 6,9% de suplemento. As diferentes fontes de suplemento proporcionaram desempenho semelhante para PL com ou sem correcao para o teor de gordura, sendo em media 7,0 e 7,4 kg/dia, respectivamente. Nao observaram-se diferencas significativas entre os tratamentos para o teor de gordura no leite, em media 4,5%. Os animais que receberam a dieta controle apresentaram porcentagem de solidos nao-gordurosos no leite semelhante aos suplementados. DOI:10.15528/2176-4158/rcpa.v12n1p93-97