Production Per Animal and Use of Intake Estimatives to Predicted Animal Productivity in \u3cem\u3ePennisetum Purpureum\u3c/em\u3e cv. Mott and \u3cem\u3eCynodon\u3c/em\u3e spp cv. Tifton 85 Pastures

Dairy production is a very important activity in southern Brazil, being an essential source of income to small household farms. Milk production from pastures is an alternative to reduce costs in dairy systems. Some C4 grasses, such as dwarf elephant grass (DEG) and Tifton 85, have presented high animal production per animal and per area. Although studies evaluating milk production from these pastures are rare in south Brazil, in vitro studies have demonstrated that the nutritional value of these forages is higher than production registered in grazing. So, it is possible that, in spite of a high intrinsic nutritional value, limitation on cows’ productivity is linked to the food’s capacity of conversion to milk and/or management conditions that limit forage intake. Leaf mass in pastures is a factor that determinates forage intake, as cows prefer leaf to other parts of plants. In this context, adequate animal performance may be possible if offered enough leaf biomass at pasture. The aim of this experiment was to evaluate the potential of milk production with these two forage species