Estimate of production and nutritional value of Stylosanthes hay cv. Campo Grande

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the productivity of Stylosanthes spp. cv Campo Grande (ECG), observing the leaf: stem ratio, as well as its potential for haymaking, so, to determine the most suitable moisture content for baling, which provides the lowest losses in quality hay. The experiment was conducted in one hectare of planted area, divided into 12 plots. The treatments consisted of three levels of dry matter (DM): 600, 700 and 800 g/kg fresh matter (FM), at the time of baling, with four repetitions each, in completely randomized experimental design. The data was analyzed by software SAS. There was average productivity of 3.36 tons of fresh matter/ha. It was found that the hay remained stable during the storage period (60 days), except for baled hay with DM content equal to 600 g/kg FM, which showed an increase in temperature, above ambient, 10°C. In baled hay with higher concentrations of MS, it was obtained better results in composition, with highest concentrations found (P<0.05) of crude protein (CP) and lowest neutral detergent insoluble nitrogen (NDIN) and acid detergent insoluble nitrogen (ADIN). However, the hays with 700 g DM/kg FM, showed higher values (P<0.05) of total digestible nutrients (TDN) and "in vitro" dry matter digestibility (IVDMD), 528.52 and 646.34 kg/kg DM, respectively.