HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Figures Only Full Text Free Full Text (PDF) Free Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Ezenwa, I. V. Articles by Pate, F. M. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Ezenwa, I. V. Articles by Pate, F. M. Agricola Articles by Ezenwa, I. V. Articles by Pate, F. M. Related Collections Crop Ecology Forage Management Other Forage Crops Grazing Management

Production Papers

Creeping Signalgrass Versus Bahiagrass for Cow and Calf Grazing

Univ. of Florida, Range Cattle Res. and Educ. Center, Ona, FL 33865. I.V. Ezenwa, current address: Univ. of Florida, Southwest Florida Res. and Educ. Center, Immokalee, FL 34142

^* Corresponding author (ivezenwa{at}ifas.ufl.edu)

Received for publication April 2, 2006. Bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum Flügge) is the predominant pasture grass in Florida because it is well adapted to the extensive low-input cattle management typical of Florida's beef production. Creeping signalgrass [Urochloa humidicola (Rendle) Morrone & Zuloaga), syn. Brachiaria humidicola (Rendle) Schweick.] shares many of the desirable characteristics of bahiagrass, but no comparative grazing trials have been conducted. We measured calf body weight (BW) gains on signalgrass and bahiagrass from May to early August (weaning) and monitored cow BW changes from August through October over 4 yr. Calf BW at weaning averaged 250 kg on signalgrass and 235 kg on bahiagrass (P = 0.13), and calf average daily gain was 0.66 kg d^–1 for signalgrass and 0.48 kg d^–1 for bahiagrass (P = 0.07). Cows grazing signalgrass weighed more (P = 0.03) in October (564 kg) than cows on bahiagrass (513 kg) and had higher (P = 0.01) body condition scores (5.7 vs. 4.7, respectively)]. There was no difference between bahiagrass and signalgrass [8380 and 9580 kg dry matter (DM) ha^–1] for forage accumulation from May through October, but forage mass was greater for signalgrass than bahiagrass from July to October. A problem with signalgrass was that 33% of annual forage DM accumulation occurred in a 28-d period beginning with the start of summer rain. Signalgrass had greater organic matter digestibility (545 g kg^–1) than bahiagrass (476 g kg^–1), but it always contained less crude protein (87 vs. 107 g kg^–1). A freeze (–5°C) reduced signalgrass ground cover to 50% and delayed grazing in 1 of 4 yr. Forage production, nutritive value, and livestock gains on signalgrass equaled or exceeded those of bahiagrass, but poor cold tolerance, limited growth before May, and excessive growth in July are potential problems with signalgrass pasture production.

Abbreviations: ADG, average daily gain • BCS, body condition score • BW, body weight • DM, dry matter • IVOMD, in vitro organic matter digestion

This article has been cited by other articles:

				B. A. Sellers, J. A. Ferrell, and G. E. MacDonald Influence of Hexazinone on Pensacola Bahiagrass Growth and Crude Protein Content Agron. J., May 7, 2008; 100(3): 808 - 812. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]