Growth and Biomass Production of Moringa Cultivated in Semiarid Region as Responses to Row Spacing and Cuts

The management of the moringa to produce biomass, as it is for other vegetal species, must consider some aspects that foster productivity. Among these aspects, cultivation density is a crucial element. This research aimed to assess the effects of spacing and cuts on the growth of the moringa. The treatments consisted of four spacings: 0.5 x 1.0 m; 0.83 x 1.0 m; 1.25 x 1.0 m; and 1.66 x 1.0 m. The experimental design was a randomized-block design with five repetitions. The standardization cut of the plants was performed at a one-meter height from the ground, fifty days after the seedlings transplantation. The assessments were performed every sixty days, totaling six cuts. Spacing impacted the growth and biomass production but did not affect the height of the plants. The stem diameter, branch number, and the plant’s mass increased at increasing the spacing. On the other side, the total mass and the masses of the stem, the leaflet, and the petiole per hectare decreased at increasing the spacing. Spacing did not affect the ratio between leaf/stem and leaflet/petiole. Plant growth and dry matter production were highest after the first two cuts and decreased significantly from the third cut on. The spacing of 0.5 x 1.0 m should be used for planting Moringa oleifera Lam. because this configuration, even reducing the gain per plant, increased the production of dry matter per unit area.

Grazing intensity as a management strategy in tropical grasses for beef cattle production: a meta-analysis

Correct pasture management associated with the adjustment of grazing intensity determines pasture persistence and the level of production per animal and per land area. The objective of this review was to examine the effect of grazing intensity in tropical pastures on the performance and productivity of beef cattle by a meta-analytical approach. The review followed a protocol developed and tested based on the PICOS strategy to formulate the guiding question: population (beef cattle), intervention (high grazing intensities), comparison (low grazing intensities), outcome (animal performance and productivity), and study design (experimental). Data were collected from papers published in the electronic databases of SCOPUS (Elsevier), Web of Science (Main collection), SpringerLink, Wiley Online Library, and Science Direct (Elsevier) by a single cross-reference search. The selected studies were considered relevant when they: (1) were primary research published in the format of a research article; (2) included grazing intensities as a management strategy; and (3) evaluated average daily gain (ADG, kg/animal per day), stocking rates (SR, animal unit (AU)/ha; AU = 450 kg), and weight gain per area (WGH, kg/ha). Thirteen manuscripts were selected due to their methodological strength for data extraction. The means under continuous stocking were 0.67 kg/animal per day for ADG, 518.12 kg/ha for WGH, and 4.19 AU/ha for SR. Under intermittent stocking, the means were 0.62 kg/animal per day for ADG, 980.18 kg/ha for WGH, and 5.10 AU/ha for SR. In tropical forages, the heights of 20 to 40 cm for pastures under continuous stocking and the defoliation intensities of 40 to 50% for those under intermittent stocking result in greater individual performance and animal productivity per land area.