Kikuyu (Pennisetum clandestinum) is highly productive during summer and autumn and capable of supporting high cattle stocking rates., The winter and spring production of kikuyu, however, is low, while forage quality, and consequently milk production per cow, is also low compared to temperate grass species. The aim of this study was to determine the dry matter yield, botanical composition, nutritional value, grazing capacity and milk production potential of irrigated kikuyu over-sown with Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum var. italicum), Westerwolds ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum var. westerwoldicum) or perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) under an intensive grazing system with Jersey cows. Calibrations for the rising plate meter (RPM) were developed for the kikuyu-ryegrass systems. These calibrations were evaluated for seasonal variation, linearity and were also combined over seasons, treatments and years to develop a calibration equation that could be used by dairy farmers in the region. The three kikuyu based pasture systems reached their peak growth rates during different months and seasons. All treatments experienced lower growth rates during winter, while peak growth rates occurred during spring for the Italian ryegrass treatment; summer for the Westerwolds ryegrass treatment and late spring/early summer for the perennial ryegrass treatment. All three treatments had similar total annual dry matter yields (kg DM ha-1) during the first year of the study. However, during year 2 the PR treatment had a higher annual DM production than IR and WR treatments. The ability of the PR treatment to maintain DM production during periods when the other treatments underwent a dip in production (WR during spring and IR during summer) enabled the PR treatment to maintain a higher annual DM production during year 2 than the systems based on annual ryegrass species. As the kikuyu component increased in kikuyu-ryegrass pastures from winter to summer, the DM and NDF content increased, while the ME content decreased. All three treatments were deficient in Ca throughout the study and deficient in P during summer and autumn for high producing dairy cows. The Ca:P ratio was below the recommended ratio of 1.6:1 for high producing dairy cows throughout the study. The grazing capacity of all three kikuyu-ryegrass systems was lower during winter and autumn than during spring and summer. The seasonal grazing capacity of the perennial ryegrass treatment, however, was more evenly distributed than that of the Italian and Westerwolds ryegrass treatments. The perennial ryegrass treatment had a lower butterfat and milk production per lactation than the Italian and Westerwolds ryegrass treatments during both years, but had the highest milk production per ha. The latter was a result of the higher annual grazing capacity achieved by the perennial ryegrass treatment. It was thus concluded that, because kikuyu over-sown with perennial ryegrass supported a higher number of animals and had a more evenly distributed fodder-flow, it allowed for higher animal production per ha than kikuyu over-sown with annual ryegrass varieties such as Italian and Westerwolds ryegrass. The pre-grazing and post-grazing regressions of all three the kikuyu based pastures developed for the RPM differed over seasons and years, primarily due to the change in botanical composition from ryegrass based pastures during winter to kikuyu-based pastures in the summer and the associated change in pasture structure. The post-grazing regressions developed during the study did not have a lower degree of accuracy (R2 values) than the pre-grazing regressions. The generalised RPM regression equations developed for kikuyu-ryegrass pastures (consisting of large data sets pooled over treatments and years) could be of use to farmers in the surrounding area, but are not recommended for research purposes due to the large errors and variation associated with such regressions. In the event that farmers employ these calibrations it is important that pasture type and pasture management practices be similar to those utilised during the study. The decision on which kikuyu-ryegrass system to utilize should be based on the specific conditions prevalent on a particular farm, an economic analysis on and a comparison between the three systems, as well as the particular fodder-flow program requirements within the pasture system. / Dissertation (MSc(Agric))--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Plant Production and Soil Science / unrestricted

Made available in DSpace on 2016-12-08T16:24:10Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 PGCA10MA084.pdf: 10543370 bytes, checksum: c4278e36095798e986451ebb91edcf8f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-11-26 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Epidemiological data, clinical and pathological findings of the spontaneous and experimental poisoning by nitrate and nitrite in cattle fed by oats (Avena sativa) and ryegrass (Lolium spp), diphenylamine test, and the nitrate content in the samples of the pasture where the outbreaks occurred are described. The disease occurs in different regions of the state of Santa Catarina, in which pastures have exuberant growth, after receiving excessive amounts of chemical and/or organic fertilizer, mainly when raining occurs after a period of dry wheather. The animals grazing these pastures quickly developed brown mucosa, tachypnea, staggering gait, frequent urination, bloating, lateral recumbency and death in few minutes or hours. At necropsy of four animals that died spontaneously, the main lesions found were brown mucosa, dark color of the blood (chocolate), intense red color of the skeletal muscles and of the left part of the myocardium. The experimental reproduction of the disease was performed in seven cattles, with pastures of four farms where the disease occurred. The animals were fed with fresh and hay oats and ryegrass. Four animals died, two became ill and recovered, and one was treated with 2 mg / kg per body weight methylene blue 1%, and one cattle did not show changes. Clinical signs and lesions of the sickened and died animals were similar to natural cases. Microscopic changes were not observed in spontaneous and experimental poisoning. The diphenylamine test was positive in all the farms where the outbreaks occurred. The chemical analysis performed on samples of pasture from several farms in which outbreaks of the disease occured ranged from 0.30% to 3.36% of nitrate in the dry matter. The disease is associated with the ingestion of oats and ryegrass pastures heavily fertilizer, which accumulates high levels of nitrate after a period of rain and is characterized by rapid breathing, dark-colored blood, brown mucous and rapid death / Descrevem-se os dados epidemiológicos, sinais clínicos e lesões da intoxicação espontânea e experimental por nitrato e nitrito em bovinos que pastoreiam em pastagens de aveia (Avena sativa) e azevém (Lolium spp), o teste da Difenilamina e os teores de nitrato nas amostras de pastagens onde ocorreram os surtos. A enfermidade ocorre em diferentes regiões do estado de Santa Catarina, quando as pastagens tem crescimento exuberante, após receberem quantidades excessivas de adubo químico e/ou orgânico, principalmente quando ocorrem condições climáticas de seca e posteriormente chuva. Os animais em contato com essas pastagens desenvolveram rapidamente mucosas de coloração marrom, taquipnéia, andar cambaleante, micção frequente, timpanismo, decúbito lateral e morte em poucos minutos, ou recuperação algumas horas após. Na necropsia de quatro animais que adoeceram espontaneamente, as principais lesões encontradas foram a coloração marrom das mucosas, a cor escura do sangue (cor de chocolate) e a coloração vermelho intensa da musculatura esquelética e do miocárdio esquerdo. A reprodução experimental da doença foi realizada em sete bovinos, com pastagens de quatro propriedades onde ocorreu a doença. Aveia e azevém verdes e sob a forma de feno foram administradas aos bovinos, destes quatro morreram, dois adoeceram e recuperam-se, um naturalmente e outro com a aplicação de azul de metileno a 1%, na dose de 2 mg/kg/peso vivo, e um bovino não apresentou alterações. Os sinais clínicos observados e lesões dos animais que adoeceram e morreram foram idênticos aos casos naturais. Alterações microscópicas não foram observadas nos casos naturais e experimentais. O teste da difenilamina resultou positivo em todas as propriedades em que ocorreram os surtos. A análise bromatológica realizada em amostras coletadas de várias propriedades em que ocorreram surtos da enfermidade variaram de 0,30% a 3,36% de nitrato na matéria seca. A enfermidade caracterizou-se principalmente por respiração ofegante, sangue de coloração escura, mucosas de coloração marrom e morte rápida de bovinos e está relacionada á ingestão de pastagens de aveia e azevém superadubadas, que acumularam alto teor de nitrato, após um período de chuvas precedido de seca