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There are currently numerous alternative food production models that may have potential to contribute substantially to improved environmental sustainability. However, such alternatives are not well studied, particularly within the context of the Canadian Prairies. To increase knowledge in this area, this thesis performed a preliminary agronomic trial for food grain production in intermediate wheatgrass (Thinopyrum intermedium), investigating the effects of legume intercropping and residue management. Mean grain yields were 520 and 447 kg/ha in 2014 and 2015, respectively, and a significant yield increase was observed following grazing with sheep. A series of farm case studies were also conducted in order to characterize ecological farming approaches on the Canadian prairies. The most consistent strategy among the farms was to increase diversity in multiple facets for both environmental and economic benefit, including more crop and livestock species, system and landscape components, and marketing strategies. / October 2016

Grazing is widely used as a tool in conservation management. Many plant communities of conservation importance are dependent on grazing for their existence, maintenance of species diversity and other valued characteristics. Plant community response to grazing depends on many factors, including site productivity and dominant plant species; setting appropriate grazing levels can therefore be challenging. The problems are magnified when more than one species or plant community is the target of conservation goals as they may need different levels of grazing. Where multiple plant communities are present in a mosaic, grazing pressure on the higher productivity community (usually the more attractive to herbivores) can affect the utilisation of the lower productivity communities: grazing on the less productive community is elevated in close proximity (a few metres) to the productive community. This increases the possibility of conflict in managing grazing for the conservation of both communities as low productivity communities can sustain only low levels of grazing. Less well studied are the effect of community layout at larger spatial scales (100s – 1000s of metres) and the effect of vegetation pattern on grazing on the productive community. It is also not well known how the spatial pattern of grazing is affected by changes in herbivore density. I investigated the consequences of the spatial pattern of plant communities and changing herbivore density for grazing patterns on a complex multi-community mosaic and assessed the probable consequence for conservation of these plant communities. The plant mosaic comprised a mixture of species-rich grassland and several less productive communities, primarily heaths and bogs; the main grazers were red deer (Cervus elaphus). The grassland needs higher grazing levels than the others to meet management goals. I used small scale experiments to investigate the effects of reducing grazing on grassland and how the effects varied within the grassland community. Elimination of grazing caused a rapid switch from short, herb-rich grassland towards a graminoid dominated, less diverse sward, as expected. The degree of change in diversity and herb cover was dependent on productivity. Experimental reduction in grazing had mixed consequences for grassland in relation to conservation goals due to pre-existing variation in intensity of grazing on the grassland. The condition of areas of initially heavily grazed and short vegetation improved, whilst taller grasslands deteriorated. Analysis of large-scale datasets was used to investigate the influence of spatial pattern of community types and differences in large scale deer density on the distribution of grazing. There was increased grazing pressure on less productive plant communities where grassland was abundant within 1km and this was fairly consistent across communities and across different grazing indicators. There was an effect on grazing levels on grassland, but the explanatory power was generally lower and the effect less consistently present across indicators of grazing. Sward height and litter depth measures from one dataset indicated heavier grazing with more grassland present nearby (250m); however, lower grazing pressure was indicated by sward height and a combined grazing index when there was more grassland in a more distant zone (500-1000m). Deer density had limited power to explain large scale variation in impacts, probably due to the coarse scale of the information available and correlation with other variables. This limited the ability to thoroughly test the consequences of changes in deer density on the spatial pattern of impacts or investigate whether there was an interaction between deer density and spatial pattern. The inherent conflict in conservation management of grazed communities of different productivities is increased by the influence of the spatial distribution of plant communities on the distribution of grazing; conservation management goals need to account for this and identify a suitable trade-off.

Grazing management is very popular nowadays and number of sites with grazing animals with the aim of restoring the sites is steadily growing. All the effects of grazing on grazed grasslands are not elucidated yet. This thesis focused mainly on the contribution of zoochory to restoration of species rich grasslands on stands cleared from Robinia pseudoacacia and stands cleared from Prunus spinosa brushwood. For the purpose of monitoring changes in vegetation, permanent plots have been established. In order to identify sources of new species occurring in permanent plots, inventory of species growing in neighbourhood of the permanent plots has been done, samples of soil seed bank, sheep buttons and seeds from sheep wool have been germinated in a greenhouse. Monitoring of permanent plots showed reduced regrowth of R. pseudoacacia and P. spinosa. We have also found that greater changes in species composition occurred in more degraded stands than in stands better-preserved. Germinating experiments proved soil seed bank being mainly the image of aboveground vegetation with minor importance to restoration of species rich grasslands. On the other hand sheep seem to be of great use for dispersal of seeds both by epizoochory and endozoochory when walking between different stands. This finding is of great importance for...

A produtividade passível de ser obtida em sistemas de produção baseados em pastagens depende de estratégias de manejo do pastejo compatíveis com o ritmo de desenvolvimento das plantas. Para tanto, é necessário o conhecimento das respostas de plantas individuais às práticas agronômicas adotadas e seus reflexos sobre a estrutura do dossel. O objetivo deste experimento foi avaliar a morfogênese e a estrutura do dossel, assim como seus padrões de variação ao longo do ano, em pastos de capim-marandu mantidos a 30 cm de altura por meio de lotação contínua e submetidos a ritmos morfogênicos contrastantes criados por meio do uso de adubação nitrogenada. Os tratamentos corresponderam ritmos morfogênicos contrastantes criados por meio da aplicação de três doses de nitrogênio (150, 300 e 450 kg/ha de N) mais o controle (sem adubação), e foram alocados às unidades experimentais (piquetes de 1200 m2) segundo um delineamento de blocos completos casualizados, com quatro repetições. Foram avaliadas as seguintes variáveis-resposta de janeiro de 2007 a abril de 2008: densidade volumétrica total (DVT) e dos componentes morfológicos do pasto, distribuição espacial da densidade volumétrica e estrutura do dossel, taxa de aparecimento (TApF) e alongamento de folhas (TAlF), taxa de alongamento de colmos (TAlC), duração de vida das folhas (DVF), comprimento final das folhas expandidas (CFF) e dos colmos (CC), densidade populacional de perfilhos basais (DPPb) e aéreos (DPPa). A aceleração do ritmo morfogênico dos pastos resultou em aumentos de DVT, particularmente na densidade volumétrica de folhas e de colmos. Essas respostas foram mediadas pela aceleração da renovação de tecidos em perfilhos individuais, representadas por aumentos em TApF e TAlF, e pela aceleração na dinâmica de renovação de perfilhos no pasto, resultando em maiores valores de DPPa e DPPb. Essas respostas se refletiram de forma marcante sobre o fluxo de crescimento relativamente ao fluxo de senescência. Isso indica a possibilidade de aumentar a eficiência de utilização dos pastos por meio do uso racional de práticas agronômicas que acelerem o ritmo morfogênico das plantas, já que as respostas demonstraram uma natureza compensatória como forma de manter as características estruturais dos perfilhos e do dossel relativamente estáveis, sendo as diferenças função apenas das variações estacionais em condições climáticas. / Productivity of pastoral systems of animal production depends on the use of grazing management strategies that are compatible with the growth rhythm of plants. In that context, knowledge regarding the response of individual plants to management practices used and their consequences to sward structure is necessary. The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the morphogenetic responses and sward structure, as well as their patterns of change throughout the year, of continuously stocked marandu palisadegrass swards maintained at 30 cm and subjected to contrasting morphogenetic rhythms created by nitrogen fertilisation use. Treatments corresponded to three nitrogen application rates (150, 300 e 450 kg/ha de N) plus the control (no fertilisation) and were assigned to experimental units (1200 m2 paddocks) according to a complete randomised block design, with four replications. The following response variables were measured from January 2007 to April 2008: total herbage (HBD), leaf (LBD), stem (SBD) and dead material (DBD) bulk density, vertical distribution of herbage components and sward structure, leaf appearance (LAR) and elongation (LER) rates, stem elongation rate (SER), leaf life span (LLS), final leaf length of fully expanded leaves (FLL), stem length (SL), population density of basal (TPDb) and aerial (TPDa) tillers. Faster morphogenetic rhythms (swards fertilised with 300 and 450 kg/ha of N) resulted in increased HBD, particularly related to leaf and stem components. Such changes were caused by increases in tissue turnover on individual tillers characterised by higher LAR and LER, and in the turnover of tillers in tiller population, which resulted in larger TPDb and TPDa than those recorded under slower morphogenetic rhythms (no fertilised swards and/or fertilised with 150 kg/ha of N). These responses were more pronounced on sward growth relative to senescence fluxes. This indicates the possibility of increasing herbage utilisation efficiency with wise use of management practices that accelerate the morphogenetic rhythm of plants, since responses showed a compensatory behaviour as a means of maintaining tiller structural characteristics and sward structure relatively stable, with differences being mainly a function of seasonal variations in climatic conditions

Two trials were conducted simultaneously to evaluate the effects of energy supplementation for cattle grazing tropical pastures managed with different initial sward heights on DMI and ruminal fermentation of cattle grazing intensively managed tropical grass during the rainy season. Eight 24-month-old rumen-cannulated Nellore steers were used per trial (Trial 1: 300 kg BW ± 5.97, Trial 2: 343 kg BW ± 7.40) allocated in two 4x4 Latin squares. Treatments corresponded to 0 (mineral supplementation) and a 0.3 (0.3% of BW of ground corn as fed basis) combined with 2 pre-grazing sward heights (25 and 35 cm). The stubble height was 15 cm. In the second trial the level of supplementation was 0.6% BW of ground corn as fed basis. Steers were managed in 2 ha of Palisadegrass pasture (Brachiaria brizantha marandu). Pastures were fertilized with 120 kg nitrogen/ha and averaged 13.8 and 11.0% CP and 58.8 and 63.4% NDF, for 25 and 35 cm, respectively The forage and the diet DM and CP digestibility were greater (P<0.05) for 25 then for 35 cm grazing management. For both trials 1 and 2, cattle grazing the pastures with 25 cm initial sward height consumed more forage DMI, more total DMI and more energy (P<0.05) and at the same time steers spent less time grazing (P<0.05) and more time resting (P<0.05), presented greater bite rates (P<0.05), less steps per day and less steps between feeding stations (P<0.05), when compared with cattle grazing the 35 cm pastures. Rumen pH values were less (P<0.05 in trial 1; P<0.1 in trial 2) and concentrations of rumen N-NH3 and retention of N were greater (P<0.05) for cattle grazing the 25 cm pastures while rumen VFA and microbial synthesis were not affected (P>0.05) by pasture management. Supplementing energy at 0.3% (trial 1) increased (P<0.05) diet DM digestibility while feeding energy at 0.6% (trial 2) decreased forage CP digestibility, increased (P<0.05) forage NDF digestibility and increased diet DM (P<0.05) and diet NDF (P<0.1) digestibility. Supplementing energy at 0.3% (trial 1) or at 0.6% (trial 2) decreased forage DMI (P<0.05) and substitution rates were 1.63 and 0.72, respectively. The total DMI and energy intake were not increased (P>0.05) by supplementing energy at 0.3% while increasing energy supplementation to 0.6% was effective to increase total DMI and energy intake of cattle grazing tropical forage, independent of initial sward height. Energy supplementation decreased (P<0.05) grazing time, but it did not affect (P>0.05) any other grazing behavior parameter. Supplementing grazing cattle with 0.3% had no effect (P>0.05) on rumen pH, N retention and microbial synthesis, increased (P<0.05) rumen propionate and decreased (P<0.05) rumen N-NH3, rumen acetate and acetate:propionate ratio. Supplementing grazing cattle with 0.6% decreased (P<0.05) rumen pH, rumen N-NH3, rumen acetate and acetate:propionate ratio, while it increased (P<0.05) rumen propionate, N retention and microbial synthesis. Plasma glucose was not affected by treatments (P>0.05). The pre-grazing sward height of 25 cm and feeding energy supplement at 0.6% of BW were efficient strategies to increase energy intake of cattle grazing Palisadegrass. / Dois experimentos foram conduzidos simultaneamente, para avaliar o uso da suplementação energética para bovinos manejados em diferentes alturas de entrada na pastagem. Foram usados 8 novilhos Nelore canulados no rumen por experimento (Exp. 1: 300 kg de PC ± 5,97, Exp. 2: 343 kg PC ± 7,40) distribuídos em 2 quadrados latinos 4x4. Os tratamentos para o Exp. 1 foram 0 (suplementação mineral) e 0,3 (0,3% do PC em milho moído) combinados com 2 alturas de entrada (25 e 35 cm). A altura de saída foi 15 cm. No Exp. 2 o nível de suplementação foi 0,6% do PC em milho moído. Os animais foram manejados em 2 ha de Capim Marandu, os quais foram adubados com 120 kg de N/há, apresentando valores médios de 13,8 e 11,0% de PB e 58,8 e 63,4% de FDN para pastos de 25 and 35 cm, respectivamente. A DMS e DPB da forragem e da dieta foram maiores (P<0,05) para o manejo da pastagem de 25 cm do que 35. Em ambos os experimentos, o CMS de forragem, energia e total foi maior (P<0,05) para o tratamento de 25 cm, que ao mesmo tempo promoveu menor tempo de pastejo (P<0,05), maior tempo em ócio (P<0,05) e taxa de bocado (P<0,05), menor número de passos por dia e passos entre estações de pastejo (P<0,05), quando comparados com animais mantidos no tratamento de 35 cm. O pH ruminal foi menor (P<0,05 no Exp. 1; P<0,10 no Exp. 2), a N-NH3 ruminal e retenção do N foram maiores (P<0,05) para animais manejados na altura de entrada de 25 cm. Os AGVs e a síntese microbiana não foram afetados (P>0,05) pelo manejo da pastagem. A suplementação em 0,3% (Exp. 1) aumentou (P<0,05) a DMS da dieta, enquanto a suplementação de 0,6% (Exp. 2) reduziu a DPB da forragem (P<0,05), aumentou a digestibilidade da FDN da forragem (P<0,05) e a DMS (P<0,05) e da FDN da dieta (P<0,01). A suplementação em 0,3% (Exp. 1) ou em 0,6% (Exp. 2) reduziu o CMS de foragem (P<0,05) e as taxas de substituição foram 1.63 and 0.72, respectivamente. O CMS total e de energia não foram aumentados (P>0,05) pela suplementação em 0,3%, enquanto o nível de 0,6% foi efetivo em aumentar o CMS total e de energia de bovinos mantidos em pastagem tropical, independente do manejo da pastagem. A suplementação reduziu o tempo de pastejo (P<0,05). Animais suplementados com 0,3% não alteraram (P>0,05) o pH ruminal, a retenção de N e síntese microbia, mas aumentaram (P<0,05) propionato no rumen e diminuíram (P<0,05) N-NH3 ruminal, acetato e relação acetato:propionato. A suplementação com 0,6% diminuiu (P<0,05) o pH ruminal, N-NH3 ruminal, acetato e relação acetato:propionato no rumen, aumentaram (P<0,05) o propionato no rumen, a retenção de N e a síntese microbiana. A glicose plasmática não foi alterada (P>0,05). A altura de pré-pastejo de 25 cm e a suplementação energética de 0,6% do PC foram estratégias eficientes para aumentar o consumo de energia de bovinos mantidos em pastagens de Capim Marandu.

A intensificação da produção pecuária baseada em pastagem é um desafio global. Os sistemas silvipastoris são caracterizados por se adequarem a um novo formato de uso da terra. Poucos estudos visam simular o crescimento de espécies forrageiras de clima tropical em ambientes sombreados, fazendo com que os modelos precisem ser testados e adaptados a diferentes condições de solo, clima e manejo. O objetivo do presente estudo foi avaliar as respostas agronômicas e parametrizar o modelo APSIM-Tropical Pasture para o capim-marandu [Brachiaria brizantha (Hochst A Rich) Stapf, sin. Urochloa brizantha cv. Marandu] sob lotação contínua em diferentes condições de sombreamento do sistema silvipastoril (SP). Foram avaliados um sistema a pleno sol (PS) e três distâncias das fileiras de árvores [7,5 m Norte (SP1), 15 m (SP2) e 7,5 m Sul (SP3)] com as árvores arranjadas em renques triplos (3,5 x 3,0 m entre linhas e entre árvores), com orientação Leste-Oeste, espeçados a 30 m entre as linhas triplas. O experimento foi conduzido durante a estação chuvosa (novembro a abril) de dois anos (2016/2017 e 2017/2018). Acúmulo de colmo, acúmulo de material morto, taxa de acúmulo de folha, índice de área foliar, número de folhas vivas por perfilho e ângulo da folhagem foram semelhantes entre tratamentos e anos (p > 0,05). Houve diferença entre os tratamentos (p < 0,05) para massa de forragem, massa de colmo, massa de material morto (p = 0,0691), acúmulo de forragem, taxa de acúmulo de forragem, taxa de acúmulo de colmo, interceptação de luz do dossel, densidade volumétrica e área foliar específica. Entre anos, houve diferença (p < 0,05) para massa de forragem, massa de folha, massa de material morto, massa de colmo, acúmulo de folha (p = 0,0509), taxa de acúmulo de material morto (p = 0,0630), proporção de folha, proporção de material morto (p = 0,0510), densidade volumétrica e área foliar específica. Houve efeito de interação tratamento × ano (p < 0,05) para densidade populacional de perfilhos vivos (DPPV), densidade populacional de perfilhos mortos (DPPM), relação entre DPPV e DPPM (DPPV/M) e densidade populacional perfilhos totais. O capim-marandu sob lotação contínua apresentou tolerância ao sombreamento para manter a produtividade de folhas do sistema SP semelhante ao PS. O modelo APSIM foi parametrizado com dados de junho de 2015 a abril de 2018. As simulações do crescimento da forrageira no PS, SP1, SP2 e SP3 demonstram que o modelo foi eficiente (R2 de 0,76 a 0,94; d entre 0,93 e 0,96 e NSE de 0,67 a 0,84) indicando que, pode ser utilizado para simular o crescimento do capim-marandu a PS e sob condições contrastantes de sombreamento. / The intensification of pasture-based livestock production is a global challenge. Silvopastoral systems are characterized by conforming to a new mode of land use. Few studies aim to simulate the growth of tropical forage species in shaded environments, making for the need to test and adapted models to different soils, climates, and management. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the agronomic responses and to parameterize the APSIM-Tropical Pasture model for \'Marandu\' palisadegrass [Brachiaria brizantha (Hochst A Rich) Stapf, syn. Urochloa brizantha cv. Marandu] under continuous stocking in response to different shading conditions in a silvopastoral (SP) system. A full sun (FS) system and three distances from the tree rows [7.5 m North (SP1), 15 m (SP2) and 7.5 m South (SP3)] were evaluated with trees arranged in triple rows (3, 5 x 3.0 m between rows and between trees), with East-West orientation, spaced at 30 m between the rows. The experiment was conducted during the rainy season (November to April) of two years (2016/2017 and 2017/2018). Stem accumulation, dead material accumulation, leaf accumulation rate, leaf area index, number of live leaves per tiller and foliage angle were similar across treatments and years (p > 0.05). There were differences among treatments (p < 0.05) for forage mass, stem mass, dead material mass (p = 0.0691), forage accumulation rate, stem accumulation rate, canopy light interception, bulk density and specific leaf area. Between years, there were differences (p < 0.05) for forage mass, leaf mass, dead material mass, stem mass, leaf accumulation (p = 0.0509), dead material accumulation rate (p = 0.0630), leaf proportion, dead material proportion (p = 0.0510), bulk density and specific leaf area. There was a treatment × year interaction (p < 0.05) effect for population density of live tillers (PDLT), population density of dead tillers (PDDT), for the relation between PDLT and PDDT (PDLT/D), and population density of total tillers. Marandu palisadegrass under continuous stocking showed enough shade tolerance to maintain leaf productivity in the SP system similar to FS. The APSIM model was parameterized with data from June 2015 to April 2018. Simulations of forage growth in FS, SP1, SP2 and SP3 show that the model was efficient (R2 = 0.76 to 0.94, d between 0.93 and 0.96 and NSE of 0.67 to 0.84), indicating that it can be used to simulate the growth of palisadegrass under FS and under contrasting shading conditions.

O perfilhamento é uma estratégia de crescimento que as gramíneas forrageiras desenvolveram durante seu processo evolutivo na presença dos herbívoros como forma de assegurar sobrevivência, perenização e produtividade, sendo influenciado por diversos fatores de ambiente e de manejo. Estudos recentes, enfocando o processo de perfilhamento em espécies de plantas forrageiras tropicais, têm colaborado de maneira significativa para o entendimento das respostas dessas gramíneas a diferentes práticas de manejo do pastejo impostas. No entanto, ainda é preciso avançar muito nesse tipo de estudos, principalmente para o capim-marandu, uma das espécies forrageiras mais utilizadas no país. O objetivo deste experimento foi descrever e quantificar os padrões demográficos de perfilhamento de pastos de capim-marandu mantidos a 30 cm de altura por meio de lotação contínua e submetidos a ritmos de crescimento contrastantes gerados por meio de adubação nitrogenada. Os tratamentos corresponderam à aplicação de três doses de nitrogênio (150, 300 e 450 kg/ha de N) mais o controle (sem adubação), e foram alocados às unidades experimentais (piquetes de 1.200 m2) segundo um delineamento de blocos completos casualizados, com quatro repetições. Durante o período experimental, (janeiro/2007 a abril/2008) foram analisadas as seguintes variáveis: densidade populacional de perfilhos (DPP), taxas de aparecimento (TAP), mortalidade (TMP) e sobrevivência (TSP) de perfilhos, índice de estabilidade das populações (IE). De maneira geral, pastos mantidos sob ritmos de crescimento mais acelerados (adubados com 300 e 450 kg/ha de N) resultaram em maiores DPP, especialmente no final de primavera e verão, bem como em maiores TAP e TMP, determinando ciclos de renovação da população de perfilhos mais intensos que pastos mantidos sob ritmos de crescimento mais lentos (não adubados e/ou adubados com 150 kg/ha de N). Independentemente dos ritmos de crescimento avaliados, os pastos de capim-marandu mantidos a 30 cm de altura se mostraram eficazes na manutenção e reposição de perfilhos e, dessa forma, asseguraram a persistência e a produtividade do pasto ao longo de todo o ano, mesmo nas épocas de menor disponibilidade de fatores de crescimento. Contudo, o período de transição entre início e final de primavera se mostrou crítico para o manejo dessa espécie forrageira, uma vez que foi nessa época que ocorreu a maior renovação da população de perfilhos nos pastos. Eventuais erros de manejo nessa condição podem comprometer a perenidade e a produtividade do pasto durante a próxima estação de crescimento. O nitrogênio acelera o processo de renovação de perfilhos e o torna mais intenso quando as condições para o crescimento são restabelecidas, acelerando a restauração da área foliar e a produção de forragem. / Tillering is a growth strategy that forage grasses developed during their coevolution with herbivores as a means of ensuring survival, perennation and productivity, which is strongly influenced by several environmental and management factors. Recent studies, focusing on tillering of tropical grasses, have contributed to the understanding of plant responses to grazing management practices. However, it is still necessary to make further progress in that area, particularly for marandu palisadegrass, one of the most used grass species in Brazil. The objective of this experiment was to describe and quantify patterns of tillering of continuously stocked marandu palisadegrass maintained at 30 cm subjected to contrasting rhythms of growth generated by nitrogen fertilisation. Treatments corresponded to three nitrogen application rates (150, 300 and 450 kg/ha of N) plus the control (no fertilisation), and were allocated to experimental units (1200 m2 paddocks) according to a complete randomised block design, with four replications. During the experimental period (January/2007 to April/2008) the following response variables were monitored: tiller population density (TPD), rates of tiller appearance (TAR), death (TDR) and survival (TSR), and population stability index (SI). Swards subjected to faster rhythms of growth (fertilised with 300 and 450 kg/ha of N) resulted in larger TPD and higher TAR and TDR, particularly in late spring and summer, determining a faster turnover in tiller population relative to those subjected to slower rhythms of growth (no fertilised or fertilised with 150 kg/ha of N). Continuously stocked marandu palisadegrass swards maintained at 30 cm were effective in ensuring tiller replacement, ensuring persistency and productivity throughout the year regardless of the growth rhythm imposed, even when availability of environmental growth conditions was limited. However, the transition period between early and late spring was critical for the management of this grass species, since it was the time swards underwent the highest turnover in tiller population. Grazing management mistakes under those conditions can compromise sward longevity and productivity during the next growing season. Nitrogen intensifies the tiller turnover process when environmental growth conditions are not limiting, accelerating restoration of sward leaf area and productivity.

O manejo do pastejo é fator determinante da eficiência do processo de colheita e condicionante do valor nutritivo da forragem produzida. O presente experimento, conduzido em área do Departamento de Biotecnologia Vegetal do Centro de Ciências Agrárias da Universidade Federal de São Carlos, Campus de Araras, São Paulo, durante o período de janeiro de 2001 a fevereiro de 2002, teve como objetivo analisar e descrever a dinâmica de acúmulo de forragem de pastos de capim-Mombaça submetidos a regimes de desfolhação intermitente. Os tratamentos corresponderam a combinações entre duas condições de pós-pastejo (altura de resíduo de 30 ou 50 cm) e duas condições de pré-pastejo (interceptação luminosa pelo dossel de 95 e 100%). O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o de blocos completos casualizados, quatro repetições e arranjo fatorial 2 x 2. Foram avaliadas as seguintes respostas: altura do dossel forrageiro, índice de área foliar (IAF), massa de forragem, número e peso de perfilhos individuais, alongamento e senescência de lâminas foliares e hastes, perdas por pastejo e composição morfológica da forragem. As avaliações foram realizadas imediatamente após o pastejo e a cada incremento de 20 cm em altura do dossel até o início de um novo pastejo. A altura do dossel forrageiro se mostrou um bom parâmetro para determinação prática do momento de entrada dos animais nos pastos, uma vez que 95 ou 100% de interceptação luminosa (IL) ocorreram consistentemente a 90 ou 115 cm de altura, respectivamente, durante todo o período experimental, independentemente do estádio de desenvolvimento das plantas (vegetativo ou reprodutivo). Os tratamentos de 95% de IL proporcionaram maior número de pastejos (7,6) que os tratamentos de 100% de IL (5,9) (P<0,10) nos 411 dias de experimento, resultado de períodos de descanso diferenciados (24 e 35 dias, em média, para 95 e 100% de IL, respectivamente, durante a estação de crescimento) (P<0,10). Essa diferença foi suficiente para causar mudanças na produção e composição morfológica da forragem, na dinâmica de acúmulo de massa seca, nos padrões de perfilhamento e nas perdas por pastejo. O acúmulo líquido de lâminas foliares foi 6.300 kg ha -1 de MS maior quando os pastejos foram realizados com 95% de IL. A partir desse ponto, as taxas de alongamento de folhas decresceram (30 para 20 mg perfilho -1 dia -1 ) (P<0,10) e as taxas de alongamento de hastes (0,24 para 0,42 mg perfilho -1 dia -1 ) (P<0,10) e senescência (9,3 para 18,2 mg perfilho -1 dia -1 ) aumentaram consideravelmente (P<0,10), prejudicando a estrutura do dossel na condição de pré-pastejo (maior proporção de hastes e material morto) e dificultando o retorno às condições especificadas de pós-pastejo, particularmente para o resíduo de 30 cm. O tratamento de pastejos realizados com 95% de IL e 30 cm de altura de resíduo resultou na maior produção (25.900 kg ha -1 de MS) e eficiência de colheita de forragem (82%). / Grazing management is a key element determining the utilization efficiency and the nutritive value of the herbage produced. This study aimed at evaluating and describing the dynamics of herbage accumulation in Mombaça grass pastures submitted to intermittent defoliation regimes. The experiment was carried out at Universidade Federal de São Carlos, Araras, SP, from January 2001 to February 2002. Treatments corresponded to combinations between two grazing intensities (30 and 50 cm post-grazing height) and two grazing intervals (grazing initiated at 95 and 100% canopy light interception - LI) and were allocated to experimental units according to a complete randomized block design, in a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement, with 4 replicates. The following responses were measured in all grazing cycles: sward height, sward leaf area index and herbage mass, tiller population density and tiller weight, leaf and stem elongation and senescence rates, losses due to grazing and morphological composition of the herbage. Measurements were performed immediately after grazing (post-grazing condition) and at 20 cm increments in sward height during regrowth until the next grazing (pre-grazing condition). Sward height proved to be a satisfactory parameter for determining the timing of grazing in field conditions, since 95 or 100% canopy light interception occurred consistently at 90 or 115 cm, respectively, throughout the experimental period regardless of plants physiological state (vegetative or reproductive). The 95% LI treatments resulted in bigger number of grazings (7.6) than the 100% LI treatments (5.9) (P<0.10) during the 411 days of experiment, that being a consequence of the resulting different intervals between grazings (24 and 35 days for 95 and 100% LI, respectively, during the spring/summer period) (P<0.10). This difference was big enough to cause changes in production and morphological composition of the herbage, dynamics of herbage accumulation, tiller demography patterns and losses due to grazing. Net accumulation of leaf dry matter was 6300 kg ha -1 higher when grazings were performed with 95% LI. From this point, leaf elongation rates decreased (30 to 20 mg tiller -1 day -1 ) (P<0.10) and stem elongation (0.24 to 0.42 mg tiller -1 day -1 ) (P<0.10) and senescence rates (9.3 to 18.2 mg tiller -1 day -1 ) increased considerably (P<0.10), influencing negatively the sward structure at the pre-grazing condition (higher proportion of stem and dead material) and increasing the difficulty of accomplishing the specified post-grazing targets, particularly for the 30 cm residue. The defoliation treatment characterized by grazings at 95% canopy light interception (90 cm sward surface height) and 30 cm residue resulted in the highest herbage dry matter production (25,900 kg ha -1 ) and utilization efficiency (82%).

Orientador: Alessandro Francisco Talamini do Amarante / Banca: Cledson Augusto Garcia / Banca: Ivanete Susin / Banca: Kátia Denise Saraiva Bresciani / Banca: Reinaldo José da Silva / Abstract: Previous studies carried out in Brazil provided evidence that alternate grazing of a pasture by sheep and adult cattle can significantly reduce numbers of nematode parasites in sheep. An experiment was carried out from January/2004 to December/2005 in order to evaluate the control of sheep nematodes by using different alternate grazing strategies. An eight-paddock rotational grazing system was devised in which each paddock was grazed for 4 days, then spelled for 28 days. Six areas with 1.41 ha were subdivided into eight paddocks using electric fencing. Sixty six Ile de France ewes and 12 steers (more than 2-years-old) were randomly allocated in groups 1, 2 or 3 (22 sheep and 4 cattle per group). Three systems of grazing management were compared, each occupying two areas, a cattle area and a sheep area. In the systems 1, 2 and 3 the sheep and cattle were interchanged, respectively, every 32 days (animals of Group 1), every 96 days (animals of Group 2) or every 192 days (animals of Group 3). Monthly, faecal and blood samples were taken from each animal. Pasture samples were also collected from each paddock to determine the number of infective larvae per kg of dry matter (L3/kg DM). Tracer lambs were placed in each system to graze with the sheep of each group in three seasons of 2005 (summer, winter and spring). Then, these animals were slaughtered for identification of nematode species and estimation of worm burden. All cattle were also slaughtered with the same purpose. In the tracer lambs, Haemonchus contortus and Trichostrongylus colubriformis were the predominant nematodes, while in cattle, Haemonchus similis, Cooperia punctata and Oesophagostomum radiatum were the most important species. A considerable reduction in concentrations of third stage larvae on herbage occurred in areas that were grazed with cattle for 96 or 192 days. Cross infection between sheep... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Doutor