Interrelationships among mineral levels in soil, forage and animal tissues on ranches in northern Mato Grosso 4 Zinc, magnesium, sodium and potassium

Abstract

An experiment was conducted with samples from six farms in northearn Mato Grosso, Brazil, to study the interrelationships among levels of minerals in soil, forage, and animal tissues during the wet and dry seasons of the year. Soil extractable Zn levels were low in three out of six farms. Forage Zn levels were defficient in five farms. Levels of Zn in the liver were defficient in all six farms, being much lower (68 ppm) during the wet season than during the dry season (113 ppm). Magnesium levels in soil were low in one farm and adequated in five. Forage and animal tissue Mg levels were adequated in all six farms. Soil extractable sodium was normal and the salinity in all six farms was considered negligible. Forage sodium was highly defficient, being able to meet only between 14 to 30% of the animal requirements. Soil potassium levels were low in two out of six farms, but forage levels were adequate in all six farms to meet the requirement of grazing beef cattle.