This study was aimed at comparing two pasture-based systems grazed by Holstein cows. The systems were sod seeding of black oat (Avena strigosa Schreb. cv. Common) and ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam. cv. Common) in bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers cv. Coastcross) and oat and ryegrass mixture in extreme cultivation. From 06/09/04 to 10/13/04 and 08/02/05 to 10/29/05, in eight grazing periods, the pregraze and postgraze herbage mass, dry matter (DM) daily acumulation rate, total dry matter production, forage offer, botanical composition, leaves total biomass and stocking rate were evaluated. No significant differences (P>0.05) were observed between pasture systems for there parameters. The total DM production, DM daily acumulation rate and stocking rate were 8467.9; 7105.7kg of DM ha-1, 54.1; 69.2kg of DM ha-1 day-1, and 1050.8; 925.5kg of live whight ha-1 for the bermudagrass sod seeding and oat and ryegrass, respectively. Higher oat leaf lamina (P<0.05) was observed in the winter annual pasture, but the leaf lamina biomass was not different (P>0.05) between pasture-based systems. These results indicate that Bermudagrass sod seeding oat plus ryegrass pasture-based used in cool-seanson can be used in similar climatic conditions of present study.
dry matter acumulation rate; lactating cows; winter pastures
