Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Intercropped oats (Avena sativa) - common vetch (Vicia sativa) silage in the dry season for small-scale dairy systems in the Highlands of Central Mexico

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Tropical Animal Health and Production Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Small-scale dairy systems in the highlands of central Mexico require feeding strategies based on quality home-grown forage that may reduce high concentrate costs. Eight Holstein cows paired by parity and date of calving were used in a split-plot experiment to evaluate supplementing 6 kg DM/cow/d of oat-vetch silage (OVS) in comparison to maize silage (MS) as dry season feeding, for a more intensive use of the land through an oat-vetch catch crop. Cows had 9 h/d access to continuous grazing of perennial ryegrass – white clover pasture and 4 kg/d of commercial concentrate. The 9 week experiment, recorded weekly milk yield and composition, and body condition score and live-weight every fortnight. Milk yield was 20.1 kg/cow/d for OVS and 15.4 for MS (SEM ±2.9, P > 0.05), with no differences for fat or protein content, body condition score, or live-weight (P > 0.05). The economic analysis showed that although feeding costs were higher for OVS, margins were greater than for MS, with feeding cost per litre of $0.21 for MS and $0.16 for OVS. OVS is a viable catch crop after the MS harvest that can substitute MS in the dry season enabling a more intensive use of the land.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

ADF:

Acid Detergent Fibre

ADL:

Acid Detergent Lignin

CP:

Crude Protein

DM:

Dry Matter

m.a.s.l.:

metres above sea level

NHA:

Net Herbage Accumulation

NDF:

Neutral Detergent Fibre

OM:

Organic Matter

SEM:

Standard Error of the Mean

References

  • Améndola, R.D., 2002. A dairy system based on forages and grazing in temperate Mexico, (Wageningen University, The Netherlands).

    Google Scholar 

  • Anaya-Ortega, J.P., Garduño-Castro, G., Espinoza-Ortega, A., Rojo-Rubio, R., and Arriaga-Jordán, C.M. (2008 - Publicado en Línea). Silage from maize (Zea mays), annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) or their mixture in the dry season feeding of grazing dairy cows in small-scale campesino dairy production systems in the Highlands of Mexico. Tropical Animal Health and Production. doi:10.1007/s11250-008-9231-5

  • Anil, L., Park, J., Phipps, R. and Miller, F.A. 1998. Temperate intercropping of cereals for forage: A review of the potential for growth and utilization with particular reference to the UK. Grass and Forage Science, 53, 301–317. doi:10.1046/j.1365–2494.1998.00144.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ankom Technology, 2005. Procedures (for NDF, ADFand in vitro Digestibility) (ANKOM Technology Method. http://www.ankom.com/ (Accessed 25 March 2006).

  • Arriaga-Jordán, C.M., Albarrán-Portillo, B., Espinoza-Ortega, A., García-Martínez, A. and Castelán-Ortega, O.A. 2002. On farm comparison of feeding strategies based on forages for small-scale dairy production systems in the highlands of Central Mexico. Experimental Agriculture, 38, 375–388. doi:10.1017/S0014479702000418

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Assefa, G. and Ledin, I. 2001. Effect of variety, soil type and fertiliser on the establishment, growth, forage yield, quality and voluntary intake by cattle of oats and vetches cultivated in pure stands and mixtures. Animal Feed Science and Technology, 92, 95–111. doi:10.1016/S0377–8401(01)00242–5

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Edmonson, A.J., Lean, I.J., Weaver, L.D., Farver, T., Webster, G. 1989. A body condition scoring chart for Holstein Dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science, 72, 68–78.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Espinoza-Ortega, A., Espinosa-Ayala, E., Bastida-López, J., Castañeda-Martínez, T., and Arriaga-Jordán, C.M. 2007. Small-scale dairy farming in the highlands of central Mexico: Technical, economic and social aspects and their impact on poverty. Experimental Agriculture, 43, 241–256. doi:10.1017/S0014479706004613

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fike, J.H., Staples, C.R., Sollenberger, L.E., Moore, J.E. and Head, H.H. 2002. Southeastern Pasture-Based Dairy Systems: Housing, Posilac, and Supplemental Silage Effects on Cow Performance. Journal of Dairy Science, 85, 866–878.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Guadarrama-Estrada, J., Espinoza-Ortega, A., González-Esquivel, C.E. and Arriaga-Jordán, C.M. 2007. Inclusion of maize or oats-vetch silage for grazing dairy cows in small-scale campesino systems in the highlands of Central México. Journal of Applied Animal Research, 32, 19–23.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Haj-Ayed M., González, J., Caballero, R., and Alvir, M.R. 2000. Nutritive value of on-farm vetch-oat hays. I. Voluntary intake and nutrient digestibility. Animal Research, 49, 381–389.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hargreaves, A., Strauch, O., and Teuber, N. 2001. Efecto de la carga animal y de la suplementación reguladora a vacas lecheras en primavera y verano sobre la producción de leche. Ciencia e Investigación Agraria, 28, 89–102.

    Google Scholar 

  • Helsel, Z.R. and Thomas, J.W. 1987. Small grains for forage. Journal of Dairy Science, 70, 2330–2338.

    Google Scholar 

  • Heredia-Nava, D., Espinoza-Ortega, A., González-Esquivel, C.E. and Arriaga-Jordán, C.M. 2007. Feeding strategies for small-scale dairy systems based on perennial (Lolium perenne) or annual (Loluim multiflorum) ryegrass in the central highlands of México. Tropical Animal Health and Production, 39, 179–188. doi:10.1007/s11250–007–9003–7

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hernández-Mendo, O. and Leaver, J.D. 2006. Production and behavioural responses of high- and low-yielding dairy cows to different periods of access to grazing or to a maize silage and soyabean meal diet fed indoors. Grass and Forage Science, 61, 335–346 doi:10.1111/j.1365–2494.2006.00540.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jaster, E.H., Fisher, C.M. and Miller, D.A. 1985. Nutritive Value of Oatlage, Barley/Pea, Pea, Oat/Pea, Pearl Millet, and Sorghum as Silage Ground Under a Double Cropping Forage System for Dairy Heifers. Journal of Dairy Science, 68, 2914–2921.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lara-Covarrubias, D., Mora-Flores, J.S., Martínez-Damián, M.A., García-Delgado, G., Omaña-Silvestre, J.M. and Gallegos-Sánchez, J. 2003. Competitividad y ventajas comparativas de los sistemas de producción de leche en el estado de Jalisco, México. Agrociencia, 37, 85–94.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lauriault, L.M. and Kirksey, R.E. 2004. Yield and Nutritive Value of Irrigated Winter Cereal Forage Grass–Legume Intercrops in the Southern High Plains, USA. Agronomy Journal, 96, 352–358.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mead, R., Curnow, R.N. and Hasted, A.M. 2002. Statistical Methods in Agriculture and Experimental Biology, Third Edition, (Chapman and Hall/CRC, London, UK).

    Google Scholar 

  • Navarro-Garza, H., Pérez-Olvera, M.A., and Castillo-González, F. 2007. Evaluation of five plant species as cover crops in the high valleys of Mexico. Revista Fitotecnia Mexicana, 30, 151–157.

    Google Scholar 

  • Phipps, H.R., Sutton, J.D., Beever, D.E. and Jones, A.K. 2000. The effect of crop maturity on the nutritional value of maize silage for lactating dairy cows. 3. Food intake and milk production. Animal Science, 71, 401–409.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Revenga, A., 2008. Rising food prices: Policy options and World Bank response (The World Bank, Wahsington, D.C).

    Google Scholar 

  • Ross, S.M., King, J.R., O’Donovan, J.T. and Spaner, D. 2004. Forage potential of intercropping Berseem clover with barley, oat, or triticale. Agronomy Journal, 96, 1013–1020.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schroeder, T.L., Voelker, H. and Schingoethe, D.J. 1979. Evaluation of High Protein Oat Forage for Dairy Cattle. Journal of Dairy Science, 62, 1889–1894.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors express gratitude to the village of Ejido San Cristóbal, particularly Mr. Hermenegildo Reyes – Valdés who ran the demonstration module where the experiment took place, to Ms. Laura Edith Martínez-Contreras and Ms. María de Lourdes Maya-Salazar from Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Agropecuarias (CICA) for the chemical analyses. This work was undertaken with funds from the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México (project UAEM 1822/2004); our gratitude also to the Mexican National Council for Science and Technology (Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología - CONACYT) for the grant received by Yesenia Garduño-Castro.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Agropecuarias (CICA), Toluca, México

    Y. Garduño-Castro, A. Espinoza-Ortega, C. E. González-Esquivel & B. Mateo-Salazar

  2. Secretaría de Investigación y Estudios Avanzados, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Instituto Literario # 100, 50000, Toluca, Estado de México, México

    C. M. Arriaga-Jordán

Authors
  1. Y. Garduño-Castro
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. A. Espinoza-Ortega
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. C. E. González-Esquivel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. B. Mateo-Salazar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. C. M. Arriaga-Jordán
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to C. M. Arriaga-Jordán.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Garduño-Castro, Y., Espinoza-Ortega, A., González-Esquivel, C.E. et al. Intercropped oats (Avena sativa) - common vetch (Vicia sativa) silage in the dry season for small-scale dairy systems in the Highlands of Central Mexico. Trop Anim Health Prod 41, 827–834 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-008-9258-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-008-9258-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation