Twenty-five-centimeter pre-grazing canopy height in palisade grass and forage peanut

Short-term grazing behavior variables are sensitive to the canopy structure and have an impact on daily forage intake. This study evaluated effect of pre- post-grazing heights harvesting process at a patch scale in mixture Brachiaria brizantha (Hochst. ex A. Rich.) Stapf. syn. Urochloa R.D. Webster cv. Marandu (palisade grass) Arachis pintoi Krapov. & W.C. Greg. Belomonte (forage peanut). Treatments were allocated split-plot arrangement completely randomized design. The plots, their entirety, consisted two pre-grazing heights: 25 cm (CH25) 35 (CH35); subplots three levels defoliation severity: no (DS0); 20% depletion height (DS20); 40% (DS40), with eight replications. Heifers allowed graze patches (0.7 × 0.7 m) was recorded. Canopy measurements taken both before after grazing. Patches from CH35 presented greater stem mass for grass (p = 0.001) legume 0.002) than did CH25. Bite rate, bite instantaneous intake rate CH25 < 0.001, p 0.068, 0.074), lower DS20 compared DS0 0.032 0.016). Greater strata negatively influenced rate.