Milk production with an association of forage trees and CT-115 under irrigation conditions

Rubén B. Soto Valdés

ABSTRACT
The milk production was evaluated throughout one year, in an associated system (leucaena + mulberry + CT-115), at the dairy farm “El Rancho” of the Citrus Fruit Enterprise “Victoria de Girón” of the Jagüey Grande municipality, Matanzas province, Cuba, in order to determine the milk production under commercial conditions, when the cows from the high-production group have access to the system during the period of increase of the lactation curve (150 days). The animals used were medium-potential Holstein x Zebu crossbred. The dry matter availability in the association area was higher than 30 kg DM/animal/rotation as average during the evaluation periods, with differences between seasons, allowing dry matter offers in these areas of 39 kg/animal/day in the rainy season (RS), being higher than in the dry season (DS), which did not exceed 31 kg/animal/day. The floristic composition of the system showed more than 88 % of the grass, 3 000 plants of leucaena and 9 000 plants of mulberry. The milk production reached higher levels than the same period in previous years (131 052 kg), with an increase of 39 270 kg during the exploitation year. The cows from the high-production group averaged more than 10 kg/cow/day in the year and the dairy unit averaged 7,6 kg per animal/day, historical record for it. Total incomes of 312 668,81 pesos were obtained and the benefit/cost ratio was 3,60 pesos produced for every spent peso. The results suggest that the association system under commercial conditions allows the medium-potential cows acceptable milk production levels; in addition, a good dry matter availability and good stability of the floristic composition of the pastureland were maintained.