FORAGE PRODUCTIVITY AND QUALITY OF DWARF NAPIERGRASS UNDER A ROTATIONAL BEEF CATTLE GRAZING SYSTEM

Abstract

Forage productivity and quality of dwarf variety of late-heading type (DL) napiergrass (Pennisetum purpureum Schumach) under a rotational beef cattle grazing system in a summer season was examined at Miyazaki, Japan in 2004. Five paddocks of DL napiergrass pasture with a total area of 25 acres (5 acres per paddock) were established since May 2002. They were rotationally grazed period by 3 heads of raising beef cows (Japanese-Black) in 3 cycles during the summer season from June to October 2004; in each cycle the animals were alloed to graze for one week and the rest for three weeks. The pre-grazing forage dry matter production averaged 247.6 – 374.0 g/m², with the forage consumption averaged 56.2 – 59.0 %. Forage consumption and dry matter intake averaged 26.0 – 34.9 g DM/m²/day and 15.4 – 18.6 g DM/kg LW/day, respectively with averages daily gain of 0.5 kg/day. The forage crude protein concentration was 12.0 – 13.2 % in leaf blade (LB) and 9.7 – 10.3 % in stem with leaf sheath (ST), and the in vitro dry matter digestibility was 67.8 – 69.8 % in LB and 69.1 – 70.7 % in ST. Thus, DL napiergrass pasture can be grazed beef cattle under a rotational grazing system by 12 heads/ha with an individual live weight of about 300 kg/head in summer season in both subtropical and tropical areas, including in Indonesia.