The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential and effective degradabilities of the dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP) and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) of furachão grass (Panicum repens, L) in different cutting ages (15, 30, 45, 60 and 75 days) with the presence or absence of fertilization. The passage rates of liquid and solid digesta phases were also determined. Five male 7/8 Holstein x Zebu cattle from 30 to 36 months of age, with 545 kg LW were allotted into a latin square design, in a split plot arrangement. The whole plot was the five cutting ages; the split plots, the two levels of fertilization; and the split split plots, the six incubation time. Cutting ages, fertilization, incubation times and the interactions between cutting ages and fertilization and between incubation time and fertilization affected the ruminal degradabilities of DM, PB and NDF. The potential DM degradability increased with the incubation time. The fertilization increased and cutting age decreased the effective degradabilities of DM, CP and NDF. The dry matter degradation rates ranged from .0481 to .0299 h-1.
fertilization; furachão grass; degradability; cutting age
