Influence of cultivated pasture in dairy production

Abstract

Cultivated pasture was compared with natural grassland of the southwestern region in Rio Grande do Sul State, in feeding dairy cows. A switch back design was used. Cultivated pasture was composed by a mixture of annual ryegrass (Lollum multiflorum Lam.), birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.) and white clover (Trifolium repens L.); natural grassland was composed mainly by grasses like Paspalum spp., Axonopus spp. and Eragrostis spp. The results showed that cultivated pasture when compared with natural grasslands gives an increase of 4,9 kg milk/cow/day and 26,57 kg milk/ha/day.