Abstract

LONDONO C, Juan; MAHECHA L, Liliana  and  ANGULO A, Joaquín. Agronomic potential and nutritional quality of Tithonia diversifolia (Hemsl.) A Gray for feeding cattle. rev. colombiana cienc. anim. Recia [online]. 2019, vol.11, n.1, pp.28-41. ISSN 2027-4297.  https://doi.org/10.24188/recia.v11.n1.2019.693.

The traditional livestock, due to the pressure exerted on the resources, must undergo a transformation that includes elements that allow the sustainability of the activity in the productive environment. Te implementation of silvopastoral systems constitute a viable alternative for the improvement of production through the inclusion of woody species in the pasture for the formation of different plant stratum, which brings multiple benefits to the bovine productive cycle. Te selection of these species should be carried out taking into account agronomic and compositional aspects to optimize animal response. Tis paper presents a review of the Mexican Sunflower (Tithonia diversifolia - (Asteraceae), in feeding cattle. Main ways of establishment, nutrient content, biomass production, effect on the soil due to its use as a green manure and their productive effects in the diet of ruminants are described. Mexican Sunflower (Tithonia diversifolia) can be established by sexual or vegetative seed. Its nutritional composition shows high levels of protein and soluble carbohydrates, low neutral detergent fiber content (NDF), and balanced levels of minerals. Te establishment of this specie and its use as green manure can improve soil fertility to increase production and yield of the pasture. These characteristics give it a high potential in bovine feeding, either as a resource for browsing, processed in flour or silage, to reduce production costs in livestock farms.

Keywords : bovine feeding; Asteraceae; methods of planting; biomass production; silvopastoral system.

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in Spanish     · Spanish ( pdf )