Abstract of Dissertation Presented to the Graduate School
of the University of Florida in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy
MANAGING THE PLANT-ANIMAL INTERFACE IN TROPICAL LEGUME-GRASS PASTURES
By
JORGE LUIS MORALES GONZALEZ December 1989
Chairman: John E. Moore
Major Department: Animal S c i e n c e
'Pensacola' bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum Flugge) is the most widely used improved grass for summer grazing in Florida, however, animal performance on this grass is low. Overseeding bahiagrass (B) pastures with the summer annual legume Aeschynomene americana L. might improve the nutritive value of B pastures but pasture-management practices may influence the quantity of legume in the pasture and in the diet of grazing cattle. Grazing management [rotational (RG) vs. continuous (CG) grazing] of B and bahiagrass-aeschynomene (BA) pastures was studied by investigating the plant-animal interface during grazing of these pastures by cattle. Animal defoliation effects during..