Objective:

To evaluate the nutritional quality and acceptability of five cold-climate grasses: Holcus lanatus (L), Bromus catharticus (Vahl), Festuca arundinacea (Schreb), Cenchrus clandestinus Hochst. ex Chiov (naturalizado), Dactylis glomerata, associated with Lotus uliginosus (Schkuhr) in the high tropic of Colombia.

Materials and Methods:

The work was conducted in the Marengo Agricultural Center, of the National University of Colombia. A randomized block design was used, with split-plot arrangement. The association and regrowth age of 45 and 70 days was taken into consideration. The nutritional quality of each accession was analyzed: crude protein, neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber and in vitro dry matter digestibility. After one year of establishment, a cafeteria test was carried out with heifers (300 kg of live weight) to calculate the relative acceptability index).

Results:

Due to their high crude protein content, associated C. clandestinum (naturalized), D. glomerata and F. arundinacea, stood out (p < 0,01), compared with the other grasses and the pure control. In general, all the samples of L. uliginosus showed good nutritional content, with high values of protein (26,5 %) and in vitro dry matter digestibility (68,6 %), especially.

Conclusions:

The association that showed the highest relative acceptability index was C. clandestinus (naturalized), being also the one with the best CP content and digestibility. F. arundinacea stood out as the promising material for the establishment in associations with legumes, due to its nutritional quality and compatibility with the legume.

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