It was carried out a study in the city of Igarapé-açú, Pará State, Brazil, with the
objective to evaluate the mass of forage and botanical composition of bovine diet on
pasture of braquiarão grass and quicuio grass, with the association of legums
Arachis pintoi, Cratylia argentea and Leucaena leucocephala with and without
burning of the secondary vegetation. The area was divided into plots, with three
repetitions. Two experiments were realized, one with burning and another with
mulching. Three pastures were tested for each experiment: 1. QB - B. humidicola +
B. brizantha cv. Marandu. 2. QBAL - B. humidicola + B. brizantha + A. pintoi cv.
Amarilo + L. leucocephala cv. Cunninghan . 3. QBAC - B. humidicola + B. brizantha +
A. pintoi cv. Amarilo + C. argentea. The diet composition consumed by the animals
was estimated through microhistological analysis of feces. The experiments took
place from April 15th of 2002 to the 18th of March of 2003. The feces and mass of
forage collects were performed every eighteen days. The samples of forage were
taken at random, in the plots of grasses six places were sampled, while in the
consorted plots twelve places were sampled. The data of forage mass and botanical
composition of the diet were evaluated through software SAS 8.0. There were
seasonal differences in the total mass, braquiarão’s leaf mass, araquis’, capoeira’s
species and dead material. As to the methodology of area preparation, all the
response variables showed differences. The total mass, leaf and stem of braquiarão
and dead material were greater in the pasture of grasses (QB). The mass of leaf and
stem of quicuio and araquis’ were greater in the pasture of QBAL and the mass of
capoeira’s species was greater in the pasture of QBAC. All the variables presented
significant differences between cycles, and the greater total masses were obtained in
cycles three and four. The consumption of quicuio and capoeira’s species were
greater in the dry season, while, the percentage of braquiarão was greater in the
rainy season. The percentages of quicuio were greater with the burning method,
while the braquiarão’s were greater in the mulch method. There were not significant
differences among the pastures as to the quicuio’s percentages and capoeira’s
species. The braquiarão’s percentages were greater in the pastures of QB and QBAL
and the legums’s were greater in the consorted pastures with legums of QBAC and
QBAL. 14 families and 23 species were found. The methodology of area preparation
influenced the forage’s mass and botanical composition of the animal’s diet. The
botanical composition of the diet was influenced by the forage’s mass. Capoeira’s
species had a little participation in the botanical composition of the animal’s diet due
to sufficient availability of forage in most parts of the year.
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