Evaluation of kernel processing and processor type in whole plant sorghum silage: Effects on nutrient digestibility and animal performance in backgrounding beef heifers.

Two experiments were conducted to assess the effects of feeding whole-plant sorghum silage (WPSS) with different kernel processing techniques (KP). Exp. 1 contrasted KP for WPSS on intake and apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) in beef heifers (n = 24, 13 ± 1 mo, 267 ± 10.

Limpograss [] Silage and Protein Supplementation as an Alternative Feed Option for Growing Heifers in North Florida.

Limpograss () is a warm-season perennial grass that has the potential to feed livestock during scarcity periods. This study evaluated the intake, nutrient digestibility, and animal performance of beef heifers fed 'Gibtuck' limpograss silage combined with different levels of a range cube supplementation. Twenty-four heifers (330 ± 16 kg live weight) were submitted to four different treatments with 6 replicates: (1) control, no supplementation + limpograss silage ad libitum; (2) 1.

Supplementation with avian-derived polyclonal antibodies against Methanobrevibacter gottschalkii and M. ruminantium decreases ex vivo methane production and modifies ruminal fermentation in Angus crossbred steers.

The study aimed to investigate the effect of supplementing polyclonal antibodies (PAP) of avian origin against the ruminal methanogens Methanobrevibacter gottschalkii Ho (PAP-Ho) and M. ruminantium M1 (PAP-M1) on ruminal fermentation profile and methane production in Angus crossbred cattle (13 steers and 1 heifer). The experiment was conducted using a randomized block design with a 3 × 2 + 1 factorial arrangement, replicated in 3 periods.

Nutritive value and condensed tannins of tree legumes in silvopasture systems.

Introducing legumes into C4-dominated tropical pastures, may enhance their sustainability but has some pasture management constraints. One potential alternative is using arboreal legumes, but several of these species have relatively high condensed tannin (CT) concentrations, which negatively impact forage quality. There is limited knowledge, however, on how arboreal legume leaf CT content varies over the year and how this might impact forage quality.

Soil fungal community structure and function response to rhizoma perennial peanut cultivars.

Background: Crop-associated microorganisms play a crucial role in soil nutrient cycling, and crop growth, and health. Fine-scale patterns in soil microbial community diversity and composition are commonly regulated by plant species or genotype. Despite extensive reports in different crop or its cultivar effects on the microbial community, it is uncertain how rhizoma peanut (RP, Arachis glabrata Benth.

Soil Bacterial Diversity Responds to Long-Term Establishment of Perennial Legumes in Warm-Season Grassland at Two Soil Depths.

The introduction of rhizoma peanut (RP Benth) into bahiagrass ( Flüggé) may require time to develop stable plant-soil microbe interactions as the microbial legacy of the previous plant community may be long-lasting. A previous study showed that <2 years of introducing rhizoma peanut into bahiagrass pastures minimally affected soil bacterial diversity and community composition. In this study, we compared the effects of the long-term inclusion of rhizoma peanut (>8 years) into bahiagrass on soil bacterial diversity and community composition against their monocultures at 0 to 15 and 15 to 30 cm soil depths using next-generation sequencing to target bacterial 16S V3-V4 regions.

Monitoring the Effect of Weed Encroachment on Cattle Behavior in Grazing Systems Using GPS Tracking Collars.

Weed encroachment on grasslands can negatively affect herbage allowance and animal behavior, impacting livestock production. We used low-cost GPS collars fitted to twenty-four Angus crossbred steers to evaluate the effects of different levels of weed encroachment on animal activities and spatial distribution. The experiment was established with a randomized complete block design, with three treatments and four blocks.

Soil Bacterial Communities Across Seven Rhizoma Peanut Cultivars (Arachis glabrata Benth.) Respond to Seasonal Variation.

Soil microorganisms play key roles in soil nutrient transformations and have a notable effect on plant growth and health. Different plant genotypes can shape soil microbial patterns via the secretion of root exudates and volatiles, but it is uncertain how a difference in soil microorganisms induced by crop cultivars will respond to short-term seasonal variations. A field experiment was conducted to assess the changes in soil bacterial communities of seven rhizoma peanut (Arachis glabrata Benth, RP) cultivars across two growing seasons, April (Spring season) and October (Fall season).

Methane emissions and 13C composition from beef steers consuming binary C3-C4 diets.

Improvements in forage nutritive value can reduce methane emission intensity in grazing ruminants. This study was designed to evaluate how the legume rhizoma peanut (Arachis glabrata; RP) inclusion into bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum) hay diets would affect intake and CH4 production in beef steers. We also assessed the potential to estimate the proportion of RP contribution to CH4 emissions using δ13C from enteric CH4.

Integrated crop-livestock systems result in less nitrate leaching than ungrazed crop systems in North Florida.

Integrated crop-livestock systems provide an array of benefits to agricultural systems, including a reduction in nitrogen (N) leaching. A farm approach to integrate crops and livestock is the adoption of grazed cover crops. Moreover, the addition of perennial grasses into crop rotations may improve soil organic matter and decrease N leaching.

The role of dung beetle species in nitrous oxide emission, ammonia volatilization, and nutrient cycling.

This study evaluated the role of dung beetle species alone or associated under different species on nitrous oxide (NO) emission, ammonia volatilization, and the performance of pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.)]. There were seven treatments, including two controls (soil and soil + dung without beetles), single species of Onthophagus taurus [Shreber, 1759] (1), Digitonthophagus gazella [Fabricius, 1787] (2), or Phanaeus vindex [MacLeay, 1819] (3); and their assemblages (1 + 2 and 1 + 2 + 3).

Effects of Aspergillus oryzae prebiotic on animal performance, nutrients digestibility, and feeding behavior of backgrounding beef heifers fed with either a sorghum silage- or a byproducts-based diet.

Eighty-four Angus crossbred heifers (13 ± 1 mo of age, 329.5 ± 61.92 kg of body weight [BW]) were used in a generalized randomized block design with a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments.

Stable isotopes of C and N differ in their ability to reconstruct diets of cattle fed C-C forage diets.

Stable isotopes are useful for estimating livestock diet selection. The objective was to compare δC and δN to estimate diet proportion of C-C forages when steers (Bos spp.) were fed quantities of rhizoma peanut (Arachis glabrata; RP; C) and bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum; C).

Supplementation of Molasses-Based Liquid Feed for Cattle Fed on Limpograss Hay.

Two experiments were performed to evaluate the effects of (1) different levels of liquid supplementation (LS) based on molasses enriched with 32% (as fed; 45% on DM basis) crude protein (CP) on intake of Hemarthria altissima hay (LH), digestibility, and rumen fermentation, and (2) different levels of LS based on molasses enriched with 32% CP in the in vitro gas production in LH diets. In Exp. 1, twelve heifers and 12 adult male castrated and cannulated cattle were used.

Stable isotopes provide evidence that condensed tannins from sericea lespedeza are degraded by ruminal microbes.

The objective of Trial 1 was to determine the effects of condensed tannins (CT) from sericea lespedeza [SL; Lespedeza cuneata (Dum. Cours.) G.

Inclusion of a tannin-rich legume in the diet of beef steers reduces greenhouse gas emissions from their excreta.

The objectives of this study were to determine the emission of nitrous oxide (NO), methane (CH), and carbon dioxide (CO), as well as the isotopic composition of NO from excreta of beef steers fed 'AU Grazer' sericea lespedeza hay [SL; Lespedeza cuneata (Dum. Cours.) G.

Composition and decomposition of rhizoma peanut (Arachis glabrata Benth.) belowground biomass.

Roots and rhizomes can play an important role in nutrient cycling, however, few studies have investigated how their decomposition pattern is affected by defoliation and time of the year. This 2-year study evaluated root-rhizome composition and decomposition of a warm-season rhizomatous perennial legume [rhizoma peanut (RP; Arachis glabrata Benth.)] under continuous stocking or when defoliated by clipping every 56 days.

Soil bacterial community response to rhizoma peanut incorporation into Florida pastures.

Incorporating legumes is one option for improving pasture fertility, sustainability, and biodiversity. Diazotrophic microorganisms, including rhizobia that form symbioses with legumes, represent a small fraction of the total soil microbial community. Yet, they can offset nitrogen (N) fertilizer inputs through their ability to convert atmospheric N into plant-usable N via biological N fixation (BNF).

Intake, ruminal fermentation parameters, and apparent total-tract digestibility by beef steers consuming Pensacola bahiagrass hay treated with calcium oxide.

To determine the effect of CaO-treated Pensacola bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum) hay on intake, ruminal fermentation parameters, and apparent total-tract digestibility of nutrients, nine ruminally cannulated Angus-crossbred steers were used in a triplicated 3 × 3 Latin square design. Steers had ad libitum access to either 1) untreated dry hay (DH; n = 8); 2) hay at 50% DM treated with 8.9% CaCO3 (dry matter [DM] basis; CC; n = 9); or 3) hay at 50% DM treated with 5% CaO (DM basis; CO; n = 8).

Ruminal in situ degradability of forage components and in vitro organic matter digestibility of warm-season grasses treated with calcium oxide.

An experiment was designed to evaluate the effects of CaO on ruminal in situ degradability (RISD) of forage components and in vitro organic matter digestibility (IVOMD) of warm-season forages. Bahiagrass (; BH) or Tifton 85 bermudagrass ( spp.; BM) hay were stored in 20-L buckets in two consecutive years ( = 4/treatment) as follows: 1) untreated dry BH or BM (DH); 2) hydrated BH or BM stored for 7 d (W7); 3) hydrated BH or BM stored for 14 d (W14); 4) hydrated BH or BM + 5% [dry matter (DM) basis] CaO stored for 7 d (CO5-7); 5) hydrated BH or BM + 5% (DM basis) CaO stored for 14 d (CO5-14); and 6) hydrated BH or BM + 10% (DM basis) CaO stored for 14 d (CO10).

Performance of growing beef cattle consuming bahiagrass hay treated with calcium oxide and molasses.

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of Pensacola bahiagrass () hay treated with calcium oxide (CaO) and molasses on performance of growing beef cattle supplemented or not with cottonseed meal. In Exp. 1, growing influenced heifers ( 59; 250 ± 29 kg body weight [BW]) and steers ( = 37; 256 ± 45 kg BW) were used.

Digestibility and nitrogen and water balance in horses fed rhizoma peanut hay.

Rhizoma peanut (RP, Arachis glabrata) hay has the potential to meet horses' crude protein (CP) requirements with less nitrogen excretion than other legumes. This study aimed to evaluate nutrient intake, apparent digestibility, and nitrogen balance of RP "Florigraze" hay compared with alfalfa (ALF, Medicago sativa L. "Legendary XHD") and bermudagrass (BG, Cynodon dactylon L.

Effects of bismuth subsalicylate and encapsulated calcium-ammonium nitrate on feedlot beef cattle production.

Two experiments were performed to evaluate the effects of bismuth subsalicylate (BSS) and calcium-ammonium nitrate (CAN) on in vitro ruminal fermentation, growth, apparent total tract digestibility of nutrients, liver mineral concentration, and carcass quality of beef cattle. In Exp. 1, four ruminally cannulated steers (520 ± 30 kg body weight [BW]) were used as donors to perform a batch culture and an in vitro organic matter digestibility (IVOMD) procedure.

Dwarf and Tall Elephantgrass Genotypes under Irrigation as Forage Sources for Ruminants: Herbage Accumulation and Nutritive Value.

This two-year study evaluated the effect of genotypes under rainfed or irrigated conditions, during the dry and rainy seasons, on herbage, leaf, and stem dry matter (DM) accumulation rates, nutritive value, and carbohydrate and protein fractionation. Treatments were tall (Iri 381 and Elefante B) or dwarf (Mott and Taiwan A-146 2.37) genotypes under rainfed or irrigated conditions.

Effects of providing artificial shade to pregnant grazing beef heifers on vaginal temperature, growth, activity, and behavior.

This experiment evaluated the effects of providing artificial shade during summer on activity, behavior, and growth performance of pregnant grazing beef heifers. Thirty-six black-hided Angus and Angus crossbred pregnant heifers [418 ± 9 kg body weight (BW); approximately 90 d of gestation] were stratified by breed, blocked by BW, and allocated to 12 "Pensacola" bahiagrass pastures ( Flüggé; 1.3 ha, = 3 heifers/pasture) with or without access to artificial shade (SHADE vs.