Manejo intensivo de pastagens no sistema de produção de bovinos leiteiros

Abstract

The milk production in Brazil has become each day more important for employment and income generation. The country climatic conditions provide the development of this activity across its vast territory, activity that involves properties at subsistence level up to producers that have high technological levels of production. It is evident that the adoption of techniques related to the genetic quality improvement of animals and handling, specially reproductive, sanitary and nutritional handling has made the production systems more efficient. Thus, the intensive use of pasture to feed the herd is fundamental to improve the productive performance of the animals, and also to reduce the costs of production. In this context, this internship has been done in order to monitor and execute activities related to pasture management, irrigation management and general handling of the dairy herd of the Flor da Serra farm. A number of evaluations has been conducted in Tanzania grass (Panicum maximum), Tifton 85 grass (Cynodon sp.) and coloninho grass (Echinochloa colona). The data collected allows us to make inferences about the potential production of these pastures and also evaluate the response of theses grasses to a new fertilizer. The activities related to irrigation involved monitoring of fertilization (fertirrigation) and data collection from pivots efficiency tests. Regarding the herd management, practices were followed, such as: vaccination, dehorning, hoof trimming, milking and artificial insemination. Internships like this are very enriching, as they allow the experience of all that was seen in the classes and allow us to make a parallel between what would be ideal (which is in the literature) and what is actually feasible to animal production in the day-by-day of a farm.