Feeding Systems with Legumes to Intensify Dairy Farms - cgiar
Feeding Systems with Legumes to Intensify Dairy Farms - cgiar
Feeding Systems with Legumes to Intensify Dairy Farms - cgiar
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Effect of Using Centrosema macrocarpum on Milk<br />
Production in the Al<strong>to</strong> Mayo Region of the Peruvian Amazon<br />
Deisy Lara and Keneth Reátegui<br />
FUNDAAM and DEPAAM, Peru<br />
The inclusion of forage legumes is a production strategy that allows<br />
production <strong>to</strong> be optimized and nutritional deficiencies of grass pastures<br />
<strong>to</strong> be overcome. This alternative also makes better use of animal<br />
genotypes, land, and producer’s capacities.<br />
The Al<strong>to</strong> Mayo region covers 630,735 hectares, of which 346,452<br />
hectares are suitable for grasslands. Of these 40% are not being used. A<br />
survey carried out in March of this year indicated that the Al<strong>to</strong> Mayo<br />
region has potential for lives<strong>to</strong>ck activities. Additional surveys indicated<br />
that the region offers good possibilities of lives<strong>to</strong>ck production on<br />
pastures planted <strong>to</strong> Brachiaria decumbens, B. brizantha and cut-andcarry<br />
grasses. On the other hand, Centrosema macrocarpum in protein<br />
banks and as cut-and-carry forage has proved <strong>to</strong> be a good alternative <strong>to</strong><br />
improve the diets offered <strong>to</strong> grazing animals.<br />
The experiment aimed <strong>to</strong>: (1) measure the increase in milk production<br />
and the weight gain in calves attributed <strong>to</strong> the use of C. macrocarpum <strong>to</strong> feed<br />
dairy cows; and (2) compare the farmers’ traditional system <strong>with</strong> a system<br />
based on Centrosema in terms of economic merit.<br />
Materials and Methods<br />
Two 1-ha plots were planted on two farms located in Nueva Cajamarca<br />
and Sori<strong>to</strong>r during September 1999. Planting density of Centrosema in both<br />
plots was high, <strong>with</strong> 0.4 m x 0.4 m between plants and 8 kg seed/ha. A<br />
95% coverage was reached at 5.5 months.<br />
A completely randomized design was used <strong>with</strong> three treatments and<br />
seven cows/treatment, over a 10-week period. The following model was<br />
used:<br />
Y ij = U + T j + E ij<br />
where:<br />
Y ij = milk production<br />
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