Three winter forage species: black oat (Avena strigosa Schreb. cv. Common), italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam. cv. Common) and white clover (Trifolium repens L. cv. Zapican) were introduced in a pasture of aruanagrass (Panicum maximum Jacq. cv. Aruana), grazed by sheep in an intensive production system (irrigation, fertilization and rotational stocking) with the objective of increasing the forage supply during the dry winter period. From 04-14-00 to 01-18-01 and 06-07-01 to 02-22-02, in six grazing periods, the pre-grazing forage mass, botanical composition and leaf blades percentage were evaluated in the six regrowth periods, as well as forage accumulation (FA). A completely randomized block design with replication within blocks was used. The treatments were: 1) grass alone and 2) the grass oversown with the mixture of winter forages. The oversown pasture had a greater total forage mass than the control in the second period as well as in the overall mean of the six periods of first year. The black oat made higher contribution in the second period while italian ryegrass contribution was higher in the third period. Higher FA was observed in the oversown pasture compared to the pure aruanagrass pasture, in the second, fifth and in the mean of the six regrowth periods. Total forage mass did not differ between treatments in the second year. The black oat contribution was higher in the first period while that of italian ryegrass was higher in the third period. The FA was similar in the two pasture systems. Fertilized and irrigated aruanagrass pasture, oversown with winter annual forages, out-yielded pure aruanagrass pasture during the dry winter period.
forage accumulation; black oat; italian ryegrass; leaf blades percentage; white clover
