An experience in cattle ranching on improved tropical pasture [Malaysia]
1995
Chen, C.P. (MARDI, Serdang, Selangor (Malaysia). Livestock Research Division) | Teoh, T.P. | Yusof, A.R.
The animal problems faced by a tropical cattle ranch such as body emaciation (43 percent), calf diarrhoea (13 percent) and the overall low reproductive rate (61 percent) in the farm were closely associated with the low quality of legume-grass pastures. The ranch was planted mainly with Centrosema pubescens, Pueraria phaseloides, Stylosanthes guianensis and Setaria sphacelata cv. Kazungula mixed pastures. Of the three legumes sown, Centro was the only species recorded surviving well with a 22.7-25.6 percent occurrence frequency in the ranch. The leguminous contribution of dry matter yield to total pasture productivity for Centro was 7.6-11.7 percent or 9.3-13.0 percent for the overall legumes was low. The seasonal fluctuation of minerals of P, Zn and K, coupled with the low Na and Co elements, aggravated the nutrient status of forages for animals of critical physiological stages. Results indicated also that the overall mineral contents of the main grass, Kazungula Setaria dropped over the years by 7.7 percent in N, 10.4 percent in P and 18.0 percent in K. This was an attribution of low input management system to the tropical pastures. Suggestions for improvement of the farm were also discussed
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