IMPACTO DEL SILVOPASTOREO EN EL DESARROLLO Y LA REPRODUCCION DE LA HEMBRA CEBU

Abstract

A silvopastoral system constituted by a protein bank of Leucaena leucocephala was exploited as complement of a grass area where Dichanthium caricosum, Bothriochloa pertusa, Dichanthium annulatum and Andropogon gayanus CIAT-621 predominated. The work was carried out at the Corralillo Military Agricultural Enterprise, in an area of 30 ha, where 62 Zebu yearling heifers were introduced with 15 months of age and 203,2 kg of mean LW, which were managed by continuous grazing. There was water ad libitum in the paddock and feeding was based only on pasture, which was neither irrigated nor fertilized. A mathematic model of simple classification was used
for the variance analysis and simple and multiple regression equations were calculated. At 25 months of age the herd was incorporated to reproduction by introducing 4 sires to the group. The first diagnosis (carried out 3 months after the incorporation) showed 59,7 % of pregnancy, with up to 345 kg of LW increase and a gain of 473 g/animal/day. These indicators maintained a stable improvement trend, which propitiated very positive final results, with a birth rate of 91,9 %, 36 kg LW at birth and gains of 440 g/animal/day in calves until weaning, with a normal physical condition of the mothers. The silvopastoral system improved markedly the environmental conditions for the development, pregnancy and parturition of the breeding females, as well as for the rearing of their calves.