In dairy livestock systems, heifers are an important component to insure the productive endurance of the herd. Feeding dairy heifers has been based on the use of grass pastures, which undergo degradation process shortly after their establishment. As a result, it has been observed low daily weight gain in heifers. Currently, silvopastoral systems have been suggested as alternative to animal production, in view of their potential benefits such as increased soil fertility, improved forage quality,

Status: Completed     Start date: Fri Aug 01 00:00:00 GMT-03:00 2014

Milk production systems in Brazil are based, for the most part, on the use of tropical grass pastures as the main source of nutrients for animals. Keeping high levels of pasture-based milk production depends on the following factors: supply of forage in quantity and quality, maximum duration of the grazing season, rational use of energy, protein and mineral supplements, and definition of management strategy that aims at productivity by area. Therefore, intensive pasture management results in for

Status: Completed     Start date: Fri Sep 01 00:00:00 GMT-03:00 2017

In intensive milk production systems, planning roughage supplementation is critical to the success of the activity. In Brazil the main forage conservation strategy is ensilage, in which maize is the main crop used, due to its high ensilability and silage nutritive value. However, the oscillation of input prices (fertilizers, pesticides, seeds, etc.) has increased the production costs of such crop, a fact that has been pointed out by farmers as a barrier for the economic viability of the producti

Status: Completed     Start date: Tue Aug 01 00:00:00 GMT-03:00 2017