Forage yield of Gliricidia sepium as affected by harvest height and frequency in Yucatan, Mexico

Abstract

Reducing the negative effects of fluctuations in quantity and nutritional quality of tropical forages on animal production is a challenge for production systems. The use of trees with good production and high nutritional quality could improve animal behavior. La producción y componentes forrajeros no fueron afectados (p > 0.05) por la frecuencia de corte de 45 y 75 días, con rendimientos de 2.46 y 2.26 t MS ha^-1, respectivamente; la producción de forraje incrementó (p < 0.05) a 3.5 t MS ha^-1 con  la frecuencia de corte de 60 días. Forage production and quality of Gliricidia sepium were evaluated in a two year-old feed bank. A completely randomized design with factorial arrangement with two cutting heights (0.45 and 0.90 m) and three cut off frequencies (45, 60 and 75 days), and four replicates per treatment (experimental plots) was used. No significant differences (p > 0.05) were observed in the production and forage components to any evaluated cutting height. Production and forage components were not affected (p > 0.05) by the cutoff frequency of 45 and 75 days, with yields of 2.46 and 2.26 t ha^-1, respectively; forage production increased (p < 0.05) to 3.5 t ha^-1 with the cutoff frequency of 60 days. The interaction frequency and cutting height (60 days x 0.45 m; and 60 days x 0.90 m) increased (p < 0.05) the production (3.73 and 3.27 t DM ha^-1, respectively) of G. sepium, although forage components were not affected (p > 0.05). According to the conditions of this study, it was concluded that forage production of G. sepium may increase through the management of the cutoff frequency (60 days) and 0.45 or 0.90 m cutting height.