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PASTURE MANAGEMENT AND FORAGE UTILIZATION

Performance of Cows and Their Calves Creep-Grazed on Rhizoma Perennial Peanut

^a USDA-ARS, STARS, 22271 Chinsegut Hill Rd., Brooksville, FL 34601
^b USDA-ARS, SAA, 950 College Station Rd., Athens, GA 30604

^* Corresponding author (mjwi{at}mail.ifas.ufl.edu).

Received for publication February 12, 2003.

	ABSTRACT

TOP NOTES ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION MATERIALS AND METHODS RESULTS AND DISCUSSION CONCLUSIONS REFERENCES

 
Where tropical grasses such as bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum Flügge) make up the base forage, creep-grazing legumes should be beneficial to calf performance. Treatments of creep with rhizoma perennial peanut (Arachis glabrata Benth.) and no creep were set-stocked (n = 24, 20, and 32 cow/calf pairs per treatment/replicate combination in 1997, 1998, and 1999, respectively) for an 84-d grazing period (June–September). Base pasture forage dry matter (DM) availability was similar all 3 yr (avg. 2.81, 2.63, and 3.13 Mg ha^–1 for 1997, 1998, and 1999, respectively) and for both treatments (2.84 and 2.87 Mg ha^–1 for creep and no creep, respectively). Forage DM availability in the creep areas averaged approximately 3.0 Mg ha^–1 and was composed of about 60% grass and 30% rhizoma perennial peanut (RPP). Nutritive value of RPP was usually 60 mg kg^–1 higher for crude protein (CP) and 200 mg kg^–1 higher for in vitro organic matter disappearance (IVOMD) compared with the associated grass (97.7 mg kg^–1 CP and 415.8 mg kg^–1 IVOMD). Utilization of creep area varied with year and breed of calf (Angus < 10% vs. Romosinuano > 50%). As a consequence, performance of Angus calves was not affected, but average daily gain (ADG) for Romosinuano calves with access to creep area was higher (+0.14 kg d^–1) than that for calves with no creep. Also, body condition score (BCS) that was higher in August and September for creeped-Romosinuano calves. Creep grazing the calves had no effect on cow performance (weight, ADG, or BCS).

Abbreviations: ADG, average daily gain • BCS, body condition score • CP, crude protein • DM, dry matter • IVOMD, in vitro organic matter disappearance • PUN, plasma urea nitrogen • RPP, rhizoma perennial peanut

	INTRODUCTION

TOP NOTES ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION MATERIALS AND METHODS RESULTS AND DISCUSSION CONCLUSIONS REFERENCES

 
RHIZOMA PERENNIAL PEANUT is a tropical forage legume with nutritive value similar to alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) (Prine et al., 1981, 1986; French and Prine, 1998). Adapted throughout much of the Gulf Coast region of the USA (French et al., 1994; Venuto et al., 2000), it is now estimated that about 8000 ha of RPP has been planted, with most of production occurring in Florida and Georgia (Quesenberry, 1999). Most of the RPP material is used for commercial hay production, with little used for pasture even though studies have consistently shown between 0.7 to 1.0 kg ADG for cattle grazing RPP (Williams et al., 1991; Bennett et al., 1995; Valencia et al., 2001). This is in part due to dependence on vegetative propagation methods (Williams et al., 1997; Williams and Chambliss, 1999) that make the establishment of RPP relatively expensive compared with seeded forages. Limiting the use of RPP stands to classes of animals that would most benefit from the improved nutritional value of the forage, such as calves and replacement heifers, may be a more practical management system for beef cattle producers than planting enough area for the whole cow herd.

Creep grazing, defined as the utilization of a high quality forage species that only the calves have access to during the preweaning stage (Matches and Burns, 1995), may be one method of efficiently utilizing limited acreage of RPP. Creep grazing in temperate areas has produced mixed results, but with tropical grasses, which have generally lower nutritive value than temperate grasses, the benefits of creep-grazing legumes should be more consistent. The benefit of creep grazing would be particularly high if the milking ability of the dam breed was relatively low. In a preliminary study by Ocumpaugh (reported in French et al., 1987), calves with access to RPP gained an extra 0.14 kg d^–1 compared with those on bahiagrass alone. Additionally, in the Ocumpaugh study, the cows nursing calves that were creep-grazed lost 20 kg less during the grazing season than those cows with non-creep-grazed calves (French et al., 1987). This indicates that creep-grazing RPP may not only improve the preweaning performance of calves, but also might improve the subsequent reproductive performance of their dams by reducing weight loss and body condition during lactation, thus shortening the length of time between calvings. The objective of this 3-yr study was to determine the effect of creep grazing of RPP on the performance of cows and calves in a subtropical environment.

	MATERIALS AND METHODS

TOP NOTES ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION MATERIALS AND METHODS RESULTS AND DISCUSSION CONCLUSIONS REFERENCES

 
The study was conducted at the Main Station of the USDA-ARS Subtropical Agricultural Research Station (STARS), Brooksville, FL (28°37' N, 82°22' W). The pastures were located on poorly to moderately well-drained Arrendondo, Sparr, and Kendric soils (loamy, siliceous, hyperthermic Grossarenic or Arenic Paleudults). The base pastures for the creep- or no-creep-grazing treatments consisted of predominantly bahiagrass with or without an adjacent RPP creep-grazing area, and grazing treatments were replicated twice. The bahiagrass base pastures and RPP creep-grazing areas were in excess of 10 yr old and had been hayed or grazed in previous years. Total area in each base pasture treatment was variable due to the presence of timbered or marshy areas, but open pasture area in each base pasture treatment was approximately 10 ha. The RPP creep pastures were approximately 2 ha.

Each year of the study, the bahiagrass pastures were rotationally grazed during the spring and fertilized with 76 kg ha^–1 of N as NH₄NO₃ in March or early April. Before initiation of the creep-grazing study each year, an additional 76 kg ha^–1 of N as NH₄NO₃ was applied in early June to each bahiagrass pasture. The RPP creep areas were a mixture of ‘Florigraze’ RPP, bahiagrass, common bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.], and forbs. The creep areas were fertilized each year in March or early April with 336 kg ha^–1 of 0–10–20 NPK fertilizer.

At the end of a natural breeding season in mid-June, Angus cows (Bos taurus L.) with Romosinuano embryo transfer calves in 1997 and natural-sired Angus calves in 1998 and 1999 and Romosinuano cows with natural-sired Romosinuano calves were set-stocked (n = 24, 20, and 32 cow/calf pairs per pasture treatment–replicate combination in 1997, 1998, and 1999, respectively) for an 84-d grazing period ending in early September. Stocking rate varied over years due to the availability of cattle, but stocking rate was not in excess of pasture production potential during the grazing period. The cow–calf pairs were stratified by breed and cow age and randomly assigned to pasture treatment to balance as much as possible breed and cow ages across treatment–replicate combinations.

At the initiation of the creep-grazing period and every 28 d thereafter, weight (kg), hip height (cm), BCS (1–9 scale; Kunkle et al., 1994), and plasma urea N (PUN, mg dL^–1; Marsh et al., 1965) were determined for all cows and calves. Additionally, pasture availability was determined for the bahiagrass base pastures and the creep-grazing areas by disk meter (0.25 m^–2) using a double-sampling technique (Ortega-S. et al., 1992) with approximately two disk meter samples per hectare and four to five clipped samples per pasture per sample date. Clipped samples were dried at 60°C to constant weight and used to generate separate predictive regression equations. Single equations across years for base pasture (g DM = 17.1334 + 5.40259 x height, r² = 0.60) and creep area (g DM = 41.84810 + 3.23687 x height, r² = 0.44) were used because the equations for individual years had similar r², standard errors of the estimate, slopes, and intercepts. Additionally, clipped subsamples from the RPP creep areas were separated into grass, RPP, and forb components before DM determination to determine percentage contribution to the sward. After DM determination, all clipped samples were ground in a Wiley mill to pass a 1-mm screen and used for CP determination (N x 6.25) on a DM basis following the procedures of Gallaher et al. (1975) and Hambleton (1977). In vitro organic matter disappearance was determined using a modified two-stage digestion procedure (Moore and Mott, 1974).

Calves in the creep-grazing treatment had access to RPP for the entire 84-d period. For 3 d at the start of the study each year, both cows and calves were herded onto the creep area for approximately 3 h each day to familiarize the calves with the creep pasture; after Day 3, the creep gates were closed, and only calves had access to RPP. Two weeks after the initiation of the creep study and every 2 wk thereafter, utilization of the creep areas was determined by recording the presence of individual calves on the creep areas every 2 h from 0600 to 2000 h.

Treatment effect on DM, CP, IVOMD, and botanical composition was analyzed using a split-plot model of PROC GLM (SAS Inst., 1990), with grazing treatment as the main plot, year as the subplot, and date as the sub-subplot. The main effect was tested using the treatment x rep effect, year and year x treatment interactions were tested by treatment x year x rep effect, and date and its interaction terms were tested with the residual error term. Animal data were separated by breed because of missing calf subclasses within years (Romosinuano in all 3 yr but Angus in 1998 and 1999 only), and ADG, weaning weight, BCS, and hip height of calves were analyzed using a split-plot model and error terms as indicated for pasture parameters. Cow data were handled the same as calf data except all dams nursing Romosinuano embryo transfer calves in 1997 were included in the Romosinuano data set that year.

	RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

TOP NOTES ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION MATERIALS AND METHODS RESULTS AND DISCUSSION CONCLUSIONS REFERENCES

 
In all 3 yr, rainfall was below average in the month (May) preceding the creep-grazing period (Fig. 1) , and only in 1999 did rainfall during the grazing period (June–September) approach or exceed normal amounts. In spite of this, forage DM availability on the base pastures (Fig. 2) was similar (P > 0.05) for 1997, 1998, and 1999 (avg. 2.81, 2.63, and 3.13 Mg ha^–1) and for creep and no-creep treatments (2.84 and 2.87 Mg ha^–1). There was a year x date interaction (P < 0.0001) due to forage DM not increasing as much in July 1998 as it did in 1997 or 1999 even though stocking density, at approximately two cow–calf pairs per hectare of grass area, was lowest that year. This indicates that in spite of the variable stocking density (approx. 50% higher in 1999 than the two previous years), herbage growth rate exceeded animal intake during the 84-d period and forage quantity on base pastures was not limiting to animal performance.

View larger version (51K): [in this window] [in a new window]   Fig. 1. Monthly rainfall (mm) just before and during 84-d grazing season, USDA-ARS, Subtropical Agricultural Research Station, Brooksville, FL, 1997–1999, compared with long-term average.

View larger version (27K): [in this window] [in a new window]   Fig. 2. Base pasture and creep area dry matter (DM, g kg–1) availability during the 1997–1999 grazing season. Bars represent standard error.

The creep area was composed mainly (approx. 60%) of bahiagrass and common bermudagrass, and this percentage did not differ (P > 0.05) across years (Fig. 3) or dates within years. Forbs constituted a minor component (avg. 7%) of the sward and, as with the grass, did not differ (P > 0.05) across years or dates. There was a year x date interaction for percentage forb due to a higher forb (>10%) content in June 1998 than any other year (3 and 5% in 1997 and 1999, respectively) and was probably due to the drier conditions that year in June compared with the other years. Rhizoma perennial peanut constituted about 30% of the sward and did not differ (P > 0.05) across dates during the grazing season any year. There was a year effect (P = 0.004), with RPP declining from 36% in 1997 to 28% in 1999 (Fig. 3). Reasons for this decline are unknown and may represent only long-term variation in RPP content of mixed swards due to cyclical droughts. Visual observation of the stand does not indicate that there has been a continued decline in RPP content since 1999 (M.J. Williams, personal observation, 2002).

View larger version (40K): [in this window] [in a new window]   Fig. 3. Botanical composition of creep area during grazing the 1997–1999 season. Bars represent standard error.

View larger version (29K): [in this window] [in a new window]   Fig. 4. Crude protein (g kg–1) concentration and in vitro organic matter disappearance (IVOMD, g kg–1) of base pasture during the 1997–1999 grazing season. Bars represent standard error.

View larger version (28K): [in this window] [in a new window]   Fig. 5. Crude protein (g kg–1) concentration of rhizoma perennial peanut (RPP) and grass components of creep area during the 1997–1999 grazing season. Bars represent standard error.

View larger version (29K): [in this window] [in a new window]   Fig. 6. In vitro organic matter disappearance (IVOMD, g kg–1) concentration of rhizoma perennial peanut (RPP) and grass components of creep area the 1997–1999 during grazing season. Bars represent standard error.

View larger version (38K): [in this window] [in a new window]   Fig. 7. Percentage of all calves present at observation times between 0600 and 2000 h during the 1997–1999 grazing season.

While on the creep area, calves were observed to almost exclusively selectively graze RPP (M.J. Williams, personal observation, 1997–1999). Previous diet composition work with mixed RPP–grass swards has shown that cattle will selectively graze RPP, particularly in the late summer and fall when nutritive value of tropical grasses declines (Bennett et al., 1995; Valencia et al., 2001). Although there was a decline of 8% units in RPP content in the creep area swards from 1997 to 1999, lack of significant date or year x date interaction for RPP content indicates that RPP was not limiting any year.

There was no effect of creep- or no-creep-grazing treatment or its interaction with year or date on Angus calf weight, hip height, BCS, PUN, or season-long ADG (Table 1). Lack of treatment difference for Angus reflects the general lack of utilization of the creep area that was noted for this breed during daylight hours and suggests little nighttime creep grazing occurred.

There was a trend (P = 0.06) for treatment to affect season-long ADG of Romosinuano calves. Calves on creep treatment gained on average 0.14 kg d^–1 more than calves just grazing bahiagrass pastures (Table 1). This improvement in gain was similar to that previously reported from RPP creep by Ocumpaugh (reported in French et al., 1987) and for ‘Tifleaf 1’ pearl millet [Pennisetum americanum (L.) Leeke] or hairy indigo (Indigofera hirsuta L.) creep grazing reported by Ocumpaugh and Dusi (1981). There was a treatment x year x date interaction (P = 0.005) for 28-d ADG, with the greatest difference in ADG due to creep grazing occurring during the last grazing period in August, particularly in 1997 and 1999 when utilization was highest (Fig. 8) . On average, BCS did not differ (P > 0.05) due to treatment (Table 1), but there was a grazing treatment x date interaction (P = 0.02) that reflected improving BCS for Romosinuano calves on creep treatment as the season progressed (Fig. 9) . Excessively increased BCS in heifers is not necessarily desirable because fat deposition in mammary tissue can be detrimental to subsequent milk production (Buskirk et al., 1996).

View larger version (20K): [in this window] [in a new window]   Fig. 8. Average daily gain (g kg–1) of Romosinuano calves with and without rhizoma perennial peanut creep in 1997 and 1999, only. Bars represent standard error.

View larger version (14K): [in this window] [in a new window]   Fig. 9. Body condition score (1–9 scale) of Romosinuano calves with and without rhizoma perennial peanut creep, 3-yr average. Bars represent standard error.

	CONCLUSIONS

TOP NOTES ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION MATERIALS AND METHODS RESULTS AND DISCUSSION CONCLUSIONS REFERENCES

	NOTES

TOP NOTES ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION MATERIALS AND METHODS RESULTS AND DISCUSSION CONCLUSIONS REFERENCES

 
Joint contribution of USDA-ARS and University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. Journal no. R-09259.

	REFERENCES

TOP NOTES ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION MATERIALS AND METHODS RESULTS AND DISCUSSION CONCLUSIONS REFERENCES

 

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This Article Abstract Figures Only Full Text (PDF) Free Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Williams, M. J. Articles by Hammond, A. C. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Williams, M. J. Articles by Hammond, A. C. Agricola Articles by Williams, M. J. Articles by Hammond, A. C. Related Collections Grazing Management Other Forage Crops