[en] We aimed to evaluate the effect of different grazing management strategies on carcass characteristics traits, meat quality and CH4 intensity and yield of lambs grazing Italian ryegrass pastures in Southern Brazil. A grazing trial was performed (2014 and 2015) in a randomized complete block design with two grazing management targets and four replicates. Treatments were traditional rotational stocking (RT), with pre- and post-grazing sward heights of 25 and 5 cm, respectively, and ‘Rotatinuous’ stocking (RN), with pre- and post-grazing sward heights of 18 and 11 cm, respectively. Castrated crossbred Texel and Polwarth lambs were used. Results indicated that diet cost per kg of dry matter (p = 0.001) and per hectare (p < 0.001) were lower for RN than for RT treatment. Final live weight (p = 0.022) and hot and cold carcass weight (p = 0.006) were greater for the RN treatment. All commercial cuts were greater for RN than for RT treatment. The RN treatment presented greater (p < 0.001) production of carcass, edible food and crude protein. Feed efficiency and feed cost conversion were better for RN than for RT treatment. CH4 intensity per kg of carcass, edible food and crude protein gain were 2.6, 2.7 and 2.1 times lower (p < 0.001) for RN. Moreover, CH4 yield was lower (p = 0.014) for RN than for RT treatment, with an average of 7.6 and 8.3% of the gross energy intake, respectively. We conclude that the ‘Rotatinuous’ stocking results in a greater carcass production, carcass quality and lower diet cost, and CH4 intensity and yield of grazing lambs. Adopting this grazing management strategy could enhance both lamb production and mitigation of CH4 intensity and yield in grazing ecosystems, which could be considered a good example of climate-smart livestock production.
Disciplines :
Animal production & animal husbandry
Author, co-author :
Savian, Jean Víctor
Schons, Radael Marinho Tres
de Souza Filho, William
Sánchez Zubieta, Angel
Kindlein, Liris
Bindelle, Jérôme ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département GxABT > Ingénierie des productions animales et nutrition
Bayer, Cimélio
Bremm, Carolina
de Faccio Carvalho, Paulo César
Language :
English
Title :
‘Rotatinuous’ stocking as a climate-smart grazing management strategy for sheep production
Publication date :
2021
Journal title :
Science of the Total Environment
ISSN :
0048-9697
eISSN :
1879-1026
Publisher :
Elsevier, Netherlands
Volume :
753
Pages :
141790
Peer reviewed :
Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi
Name of the research project :
Universal-CNPq nº 481941/2013-4
Funders :
CAPES - Coordenação de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior [BR]
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