39-1 Evaluation of Warm-Season Annual Forages in Forage-Finishing Beef Production Systems.

See more from this Division: C06 Forage and Grazinglands
See more from this Session: Robert F Barnes Ph.D. Oral Contest

Monday, November 7, 2016: 8:05 AM
Phoenix Convention Center North, Room 224 A

Deidre Harmon, 120 Carlton Street, University of Georgia-Athens, Athens, GA, Dennis W. Hancock, University of Georgia-Athens, Athens, GA, Lawton Stewart, Animal and Dairy Sciences, University of Georgia-Athens, Athens, GA, Alex Stelzeni, Animal and Dairy Science, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, Jacob Segers, Animal and Dairy Science, University of Georgia, Tifton, GA and Christopher D. Teutsch, Virginia Tech, Blackstone, VA
Abstract:
The demand for locally grown, forage-finished beef products has increased in the last decade and has created a need for alternative forage-finishing strategies.  A three year study was conducted to evaluate four warm-season annual forages in a southeastern forage-finishing beef production system.  Forage treatments were brown midrib sorghum x sudangrass [Sorghum bicolor var. bicolor*bicolor var. sudanense; BMR], sorghum x sudangrass [SS], pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R.Br.; PM], or pearl millet planted with crabgrass [Digitaria sanguinalis (L.) Scop.; PMCG].  Treatments were planted at a seeding rate of 22.4, 22.4, 16.8, and 11.2 + 5.6 kg ha-1, respectively. Sixteen pastures (0.81-ha) were assigned to one of four forage treatments in a randomized complete block design. Pastures were subdivided for rotational grazing by British-cross beef steers (n = 32; 438±49 kg).  Put and take grazing was used to maintain a forage allowance of 1600-4500 kg ha-1.  Forage yield was measured by clipping in triplicate a 4.3-m2 area with a plot harvester on day 0 and on 14 d intervals.  Hand grab samples for forage quality determination and metabolic body weights were measured on day 0 and on 34 d intervals until termination of the trial.  In 2014, DM yield was greater for BMR and SS compared to PM and PMCG at day 0 (P < 0.001; 1657, 1958, 1205, and 1297 kg h-1, respectively) and at day 14 (P < 0.0148; 4007, 4670, 3485, and 2962 kg h-1, respectively) while in 2015, BMR, SS and PM outperformed PMCG at day 0 (P < 0.0574; 2548, 2755, 3016, and 2039 kg h-1, respectively).  ADG was significantly (P = 0.0032) higher for BMR (0.90 kg/d) compared to steers grazing SS and PMCG (0.68 and 0.62 kg/d, respectively) but did not differ from PM (P = 0.1472; 0.79 kg/d).  Results from 2 years of data suggest that BMR, SS, PM, and PMCG may all be used in forage-finishing beef production systems but BMR may outperform SS, PM, and PMCG on the parameters of forage yield and animal performance.

See more from this Division: C06 Forage and Grazinglands
See more from this Session: Robert F Barnes Ph.D. Oral Contest

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