water buffalo milk production in marajo island, brazil - Ainfo

Buffalo J. (1999) 1 : 97-104
Brief Communication
WATER BUFFALO MILK PRODUCTION IN MARAJO
ISLAND, BRAZIL
J.B. Lourenco-Junior, M. Símao-Neto, S. Dutra, M.P.S. Moraes,
A.V. Lourenço and J.A.R. Silva
Brazilian Agricultural Research Organisation (EMBRAPA), Agroforestry Research
Centre for the Eastern Amazon (CPATU), Belem, Para, Brazil
Received June 17, 1997
Accepted October 22, 1998
Key words: Amazon, water buffalo production system, management, lactation
INTRODUCTION
The Amazon region has great potential for animal production, due to its
land availability, water, solar radiation and natural grassland ecosystems. Half of
the Brazilian water buffalo herd, about 1.5 million head, is bred in this region. In
the Marajo Island, Para State, there are 700 thousand buffaloes, producing meat on
native pastures extensively grazed, oflow productivity and nutritive value. Average
milk production per cows is very low. The breeds Carabao, Jafarabadi, Murrah and
Mediterranean, this last of higher numerical expression, have good potential for
meat and milk production. Murrah buffaloes, of more recent introduction in the
country, shows excellent productive and reproductive perforrnance, with high
potential for milk production.
Water buffaloes have relevant role in the elevation of the social and
economicallevel of small communities (Gill, 1986). In Brazil, and especially in the
Amazon region, they can be of great importance for milk production in small and
medium rural properties, but it is necessary to know the relationships between
productive variables (such as milk production) and environmental variables (climate
and nutrition, mainly).
The grass Brachiaria humidicola, due to its productivity, rusticity, and
adaptation to low fertility soils and to climatic extremes, has been indicated to
substitute native pasture of the Marajo Island (Lourenco Junior et al., 1993;
Salimos et si; 1993).
The aim of this study was to evaluate milk production of Murrah buffaloes
grazing on Brachiaria humidicola cultivated pasture of Marajo Island, Para State,
Brazil.
©
by Research Centre for Bioscience in Animal
Production
and Thai Buffalo Association
98
BUFFALO JOURNAL 15 (1)
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The trial was carried out at the Experimental Station of EMBRAPA in the
Marajo Island (00'40' Latitude South and 48' 33' Longitude West), climatic type
Ami, of Koppen classification (Bastos et al., 1986), with dry period from July to
December and rainy period from January to June, average temperature of 27'C and
annual rainfall of 2,800 mm (Fig. 1). The soils are Hidromorphic Laterite and Humic
Gley (Day& Santos, 1962), of low fertility and high acidity.
800
29
600
28
E
E 400
27 O
o
200
26
O
25
JFMAMJJ
Rainfall
T emperature
A 5 O N O
•
-----
Fig. 1. Climatic conditions ofthe experimental area, period from 1989 to 1995.
The experimental area was a Brachiaria humidicola pasture stocked at 1
Animal Unit (AU) - animal weighing 450 kg - per ha/year, divided in paddocks of 2
ha each, used by females
of breeding age and calves. Water and mineral
supplements were supplied ad libitum.
The herd was formed initially by 41 Murrah buffaloes, 40 females and a
bull. The calves remained with their mothers during the day until 5:00 pm.
Milking was carried out once a day, manually, by 5:00 amo Milk production was
evaluated monthly, two milkings a day, according to the procedures established by
the Brazilian Buffalo Breeders Association (ABCB). The cows were weighed after
calving and all the animals every month.
The heifers were mated at the average weight of about 65% of the adult
weight, and at the age between 20 and 24 months.
Females presenting any
abnormality or producing less than 900 kg of milk per lactation were eliminated.
MILK PRODUCTION
99
IN MARAJO ISLAND, BRAZIL
The animals were vaccinated against foot-and-mouth disease and brucellosis and
were dewormed and treated against lice (Haematapinus tuberculatus).
Data of milk production from 1989 to 1995 were recorded. Statistical
analysis was carried out through SAS, according to the model : Yijklm = U + Ai + Ej
+ Gk + 01 + Cm (ELijklm - EL) + eijklm. Where Yijklm = Milk production (kg); U =
General average; A, E, G, O and EL = Effects of year, períod, blood level, birth order
and lactation period (considered as a co-variable); Cm = Co-variable coefficient;
eijklm = Random error.
A comparative economical evaluation was carried out to compare the
production system tested in this study with the traditional systems commonly used
in the region, which use very low technological inputs.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The analysis of variance of milk production data from 1989 to 1995 is
presented in Table 1. The only factor affecting milk production was the lactation
period. Annual averages of milk production varied from 968 ± 115 to 1,339 ± 320
kg, as shown in Table 11. Milk production in the rainy and in the dry seasons was
1,118 ± 265 and 1,235 ± 263 kg. Averages of milk production according to blood
level of the mother cows are presented in Table 111,with an overall average of 1,204
± 199 kg and showing a trend of lower milk production of the females having higher
Murrah blood level. This value is superior to that found in the Medium Amazon
River region, Para State (993 kg), but lower than the averages reported by Empresa
(1988), Mosse (1979), Nascimento et alo (1979) and Marques (1984), which were
2,000, 1,583, 1,957 and 1,655 kg, respectively.
TABLE I ANALYS1S OF VAR1ANCE OF BUFFALO M1LK PRODUCT10N 1N
MARAJO 1SLAND
Source of uariatiori
Degree of [reedoni
Birth year
Year period
Blood level
Birth order
Lactation period
Error
Coefficient ofvariation
6
1
5
5
1
73
=
16.49%.
Mean Square
35,399.07
37,354.93
27,024.91
74,858.60
1,573,001.81
39,428.01
F
0.90NS
0.95NS
0.69NS
1.90NS
39.90**
100
TABLE 11
BUFFALO JOURNAL 15 (1)
ANNUAL AVERAGE MILK PRODUCTION
Year
Milk production
Number of observations
(kg)
1989
7
1990
23
± 243.9
1,168.6 ± 242.6
1991
16
1,125.3
1992
18
1993
17
1994
7
1995
4
Average
1,202.7
± 228.6
1,339.5 ± 320.4
1,321.7 ± 283.1
± 114.6
1,027.5 ± 55.5
1,204.0 ± 198.6
968.1
92
TABLE 111 AVERAGE MILK PRODUCTION, ACCORDING TO THE BLOOD
LEVEL OF THE MOTHER COWS
Blood level of the mother cows
Number of observations
Milk production
(kg)
3/4 Murrah -114Mediterranean
10
1,340.5
± 275.4
7/8 Murrah-l/8 Mediterranean
48
1,214.0
± 255.2
1
978.7
15/16 Murrah-l/16 Mediterranean
28
31/32 Murrah-1/32 Mediterranean
4
± 276.0
1,061.6 ± 200.2
63/64 Murrah-1/64 Mediterranean
1
898.0
9/16 Murrah-7/16 Mediterranean
Overall average
92
1,177.1
1,204.0
± 198.6
MiIk production reached 1,339 ± 320 and 1,321 ± 283 kg in 1992 and 1993,
due to the better management of the pasture and the seIection of better animaIs
performed in the herdo There was a trend to increase milk production from the first
to the fifth lactation order, 1,125.4 kg to 1,349 kg, decreasing to 992.1 kg in the
sixth order. Milk production according to the birth order varied from 992 ± 80 to
1,349 ± 313 kg, as shown in Table IV.
MILK PRODUCTION
101
IN MARAJO ISLAND, BRAZIL
The selection of females for lactation persistence lead to the increase of
production (FAO, 1991) and the records of mi1k production of female buffalo herds
are usually kept in 305-day lactations, although many individuals produce milk
beyond this period, in well managed herds.
Averages oflactation period according to birth year and to lactation arder are
presented in Tables V and VI. Lactation period in 1989 was 302.1 days, but
decreased with time. The overall average of obtained, 235.4 days, below the ideal
period, is due to the climatic effects during the dry season, reducing forage
availability and quality. Longer lactation period was observed by Marques (1984)
for the Amazon region (274.2). Nascimento et al. (1979) observed lactation periods
of 316 days for Mediterranean and 340 days for Murrah females.
Analysing lactation period by lactation order, it was verified that there was a
reduction with the increase of lactation order. Average milk production found is
superior to that observed in the traditional breeding system of Marajo Island, 800
kg per lactation, which shows that improved pasture systems can increase regional
milk production.
In Table VII it shown the results of the economical evaluation, in which it
can be observed that the net income is about three times above the average obtained
in traditional production systems. Net income can increase up 200% using a smaller
pasture area, about l.0 ha, against 5.0 ha per AV found in the traditional buffalo
production in native pastures.
TABLE IV
AVERAGE MILK PRODVCTION ACCORDING TO BIRTH ORDER
Birth order
Number of observations
Milk production
(kg)
1
17
1,125.4 ± 230.2
2
28
1,154.2 ± 209.8
3
18
1,232.1 ± 225.3
4
15
1,32l.0
5
10
1,349.4 ± 313.0
6
4
Overall average
92
992.1
± 358.4
± 80.1
1,204.0 ± 198.6
102
BUFF ALO JOURNAL 15 (1)
AVERAGE MILK PRODUCTION, ACCORDING TO BIRTH YEAR
TABLE V
Number of observations
Birthyear
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
Overall average
TABLE VI
1
2
3
4
5
6
Overall average
Number of observations
17
28
18
15
10
4
92
±
±
±
±
±
±
±
±
57.8
37.2
26.6
35.6
32.9
19.2
2.4
32.9
Lactation period (days)
266.9
227.2
228.9
236.1
237.3
182.0
235.4
GROSS AND NET INCOMES ACCORDING
PRODUCTION SYSTEM (US$ 1.00)
Income / Cost
± 59.9
± 36.5
± 29.0
± 39.9
± 46.3
± 32.9
± 32.9
TO THE
Production system
Traditional system
Gross income
Total cost
Netincome
302.1
242.6
217.0
244.1
244.0
187.3
160.5
235.4
LACTATION PERIOD ACCORDING TO THE LACTATION ORDER
Lactation order
TABLE VII
7
23
16
18
17
7
4
92
Lactation period (days)
5,656.16
3,512.07
2,144.09
This trial
11,292.89
4,926.84
6,366.05
MILK
MILK PRODUCTION
IN MARAJO ISLAND, BRAZIL
103
CONCLUSION
Significant effects of birth year, year period, blood level and birth order on
milk production
were not observed, different1y from lactation period. Milk
production of buffaloes grazing cultivated pasture of Brachiaria humidicola in the
Marajo Island (1,204.0 ± 198.6 kg/cow/lactation) was superior to the production
observed in the traditional breeding system on native pasture (800 kg of milk per
lactation of about of 200 days),
The use of proper, simple and low cost management techniques, can increase
productivity of buffalo production systems of Marajo Island up to four times, 5.0 ha
to 1.0 ha per animal unit. Although production costs of this system is 50% higher,
net income is about three times superior in relation to traditional systems.
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