Use of Saboya grass, yield and nutritional quality at different cutting frequencies in Manglaralto, Santa Elena

Abstract

Megathyrsus maximus stands out for its high yield in tropical climates, its adaptability to different edaphoclimatic conditions and for presenting the necessary nutrients with certain regrowth days. The objective of the work was to evaluate the potential of the Saboya (M. maximus) to increase agrodiversity in livestock systems of Manglaralto, province of Santa Elena. 227 livestock producers were surveyed and the data were processed through factorial analysis and cluster analysis. To help generalize the use of Saboya grass and improve its management, an experiment was designed that evaluated three cutting frequencies (30, 45, 60 days) in a randomized block design with three replicates. Yield, ashes, ethereal extract, crude protein, crude fiber, nitrogen free extract, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, lignin and metabolizable energy were evaluated. These data were processed by double classification ANOVAs and Tukey test was applied for comparison of means. Two main components were extracted that explained 84.8% of the total variability, as well as classified the farms into 4 groups. The experimental results indicated that the dry matter yield increased (p<0.05) with the cutting age, obtaining 5.53 tDM.ha-1 at 60 cutting days. The nutritional composition of the Saboya grass changed significantly with the maturity of the plant, with an increase in fiber components and a decrease in CP and ME. It is concluded that Saboya grass is a species that shows potential to increase agrodiversity in the livestock systems of Manglaralto, Santa Elena, with a moderately limited knowledge and use by producers.