Forage potential of six sugarcane cultivars for feeding ruminants
State University of Southwest of Bahia, BR45700-000 Itapetinga, Bahia, Brazil
*Correspondence: amanda.s.ri@hotmail.com
Abstract:
The study evaluated the productive, morphometric, and bromatological characteristics of six sugarcane cultivars (Regional, RB 865536, RB 867515, CTC2, CTC9001, and CTC9004M). The experiment began at UESB and continued at Fazenda Bela Vista, with evaluations conducted 3 to 18 months after planting. A randomized complete block design was used, with six cultivars per cultivar and four replicates. The cultivar CTC2 presented higher levels of lignin and indigestible neutral detergent fiber, while RB 865536 stood out for its hemicellulose content. The average contents of dry matter, crude protein, ether extract, non-fibrous carbohydrates, and corrected neutral detergent fiber did not differ between cultivars, but there was variation in carbohydrate fractions. CTC9001 presented the highest value for fraction A (68.6%), while cultivar Regional and CTC9004M stood out in fraction B1+B2, and CTC2 and CTC9004M in fractions B3 and C, respectively. In the productive characteristics, CTC9004M presented the highest values of natural matter, dry matter, soluble carbohydrates, production and juice efficiency, standing out in yield. Regarding morphometric characteristics, CTC9001 showed advantages in leaf length and diameter, stem diameter, and leaf area, although there were no significant differences in plant height, tiller number, or leaf number. The cultivars have similar chemical and bromatological composition, agronomic characteristics, and growth behavior. CTC9004M demonstrated superior production efficiency, making it the most suitable option for forage use in semiarid conditions. Future studies should evaluate animal performance directly using these cultivars in feeding trials.
Key words:
adaptation, agriculture, Composition, productivity, semi-arid regions