Eficiência de pastejo em pastagens diferidas de capim-cayana com estruturas contrastantes

Abstract

The seasonality of forage production imposes challenges on maintaining animal productivity in pasture-based production systems. In this context, pasture deferment emerges as a management strategy capable of ensuring forage supply during the off-season, promoting biomass accumulation at the end of summer for use in winter. However, the structure of the pasture at the end of the deferment period directly influences grazing efficiency, that is, the utilization of deferred forage. Thus, the present study was conducted to quantify grazing efficiency in deferred pastures with Cayman grass (Brachiaria spp. cv. Cayana) with different forage masses. The experiment was carried out from 02/17/2025 to 09/17/2025, at the Capim Branco Experimental Farm of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science at the Federal University of Uberlândia, in Uberlândia, MG. Grazing efficiency was evaluated based on the formula: GE (%) = 100% - P (%), in which GE refers to grazing efficiency is the loss of forage. The pasture with High MF showed a lower grazing efficiency value of 44%, while the pasture with Medium MF had a higher value of 53%. The pasture with Low MF, in turn, presented an intermediate grazing efficiency value of 47%; however, grazing efficiency was directly related to the structure of the forage, with the treatment containing a higher proportion of live leaves allowing for better forage utilization by the animals, resulting in higher grazing efficiency.