02106naa a2200205 a 450000100080000000500110000800800410001910000160006024501000007626000090017650000140018552015480019965000210174765000130176865000130178165000150179470000170180970000180182677300560184410747291995-03-21       1993    bl ---       0--  u    #d1 aHILL, G. M.  aForage quality and grazing steer performance from Tifton 85 and Tifton78 bermudagrass pastures.  c1993  aSeparata.  aA new high-yielding bermudagrass hybrid, Tifton 85, produced 26% higher DM yield (P=.05) with 11% higher IVDMD (P=.05) than Coastal in two 3-yr yield trials. Tifton 78 and Tifton 85 were established in duplicate .81-ha pastures in 1988 and were grazed during 1989, 1990, and 1991 using a variable stocking rate method. Four tester steers per pasture with 269kg initial BW grazed continuously for 169d/yr beginning in April. Forage mass, targeted at 2,800kg  of DM/ha, was maintained by adjusting stocking rates at 14-d intervals to correspond with ground-levelforage samples taken at 14-d intervals. Pastures received 84kg of N/hain March, June, and August of each year. Nutritive value was assessed using whole masticate samples from two esophageal cannulated steersgrazing each pasture in late May, mid-July, or early September. The 3-yr mean masticate analyses revealed similar CP for Tifton 78 and Tifton 85 in May and July, but higher (P&lt.05) CP for Tifton 85 than for Tifton 78 in September. The IVDMD was higher (P&lt.05) in May and Septemberfor Tifton 85 than for Tifton 78; and, mean and medium particle sizes were greater (P&lt.05) for Tifton 85 than for Tifton 78 in May, July, and September samples. The 3-yr mean ADG was similar for Tifton 78 and Tifton 85 (.65vs .67kg; P&gt.10); however, grazing days/hectare were higher for Tifton 85 than for Tifton 78 (1,823vs 1,319d; P&lt.01). Consequently, BW gain/hectare was 46% higher for Tifton 85 than for Tifton 78 (1,156vs 789kg; P&lt.01). Forage quality, DM yield, and grazing ...  aCynodon Dactylon  aForragem  aPastagem  aProdução1 aGATES, R. N.1 aBURTON, G. W.  tJournal of Animal Sciencegv.71, p.3219-3225, 1993.