AGRONOMY OF MULATO GRASS CULTIVAR (BRACHIARIA SP.) IN GRAZING CONDITIONS IN QUINTANA ROO, MEXICO

The objective of this study was to determine the behavior of Mulato grass under grazing conditions in Quintana Roo. This work was carried out in the Chetumal Experimental Field of INIFAP in Quintana Roo, which is located 25 km from Chetumal, in the vicinity of the Juan Sarabia ejido, on km 25 of the Chetumal federal highway. For the development of the study, two hectares were used, 1 ha of Brachiaria humidícola (Chetumal) and another of Brachiaria sp. (mulato). For each type of pasture, three recently weaned steers of the Holstein for Zebu and Swiss for Zebu breeds with an approximate initial weight of 242 ± 3 kg were used the variables measured were seasonal dry matter production, plant cover and height, forage supply, and the botanical composition of the meadow. Subsequently, the steers were changed by load adjustment and the weight gain was determined. The design used was totally randomized with three repetitions per treatment and the analysis of the information was carried out through the ANOVA. No differences (P≥0.05) were found in the number of plants 12 weeks after establishment. For the coverage parameter, differences (P≤0.05) were observed with values ​​of 89% and 77 for Chetumal and mulatto grass, respectively. The values ​​of weight gain among the grasses under study (650 vs 675 for Chetumal and mulatto, respectively) did not indicate differences (P≥0.05) between them. Therefore, mulatto grass should be considered as an option for livestock in the state.