PRODUCTIVITY OF A SILVOPASTORAL SYSTEM UNDER INTENSIVE MIXED SPECIES GRAZING BY CATTLE AND SHEEP

Abstract

The presence of forage trees in pastures enhances yield and nutritional quality of forage available for animal feeding. We assessed forage yield and nutritional quality, and weight gain of cattle and sheep foraging in a silvopastoral system containing Guazuma ulmifolia Lam. and the grasses Digitaria eriantha Stent (cv. Pangola), Brachiaria brizantha (Hochst. ex A. Rich.) Stapf (cv. Insurgentes) and Megathyrsus maximus (Jacq.) B.K. Simon & S.W.L. Jacobs (cv. Tanzania), during three seasons (windy, dry and rainy) in two grazing treatments: 1) mixed species grazing by four to five Criollo Lechero Tropical heifers and six female Pelibuey lambs, and 2) simple species grazing by 12 female Pelibuey lambs. Weight gain was greater (P

Keywords

• sistema silvopastoril
• Guazuma ulmifolia
• bovinos
• ovinos
• pastoreo simultáneo de especies.