CROP RESIDUES FROM CORN AND COWPEA AS FODDER FOR STEERS BROWSING CAATINGA PASTURE

Zebu type steers, browsing a caatinga pasture on a 6 ha/head/year stoc king rate were allocated to supplementation with crop residues, in the following treatments: T1 = corn crop residues (CCR); T2 CCR + cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) fodder (CF) in the proportion 1:1; and T3 = CF. Th e fodder was furnished by the onset of the animal weight losses in the dry season. A forth group of steers was kept in the same area but wit hout any supplement. The research lasted two years (1982-83). There wa s no difference among treatments in fodder intake and the average was 1.44 and 2.06 kg/100 kg liveweight for 1982 and 1983, respectively. Th e daily weight gain (kg) for treatments T1, T2 and T3 was, respectivel y, 0.02, 0.10 and 0.17 in 1982, and 0.07, 0.12 and 0.23 in 1983. There was difference among treatments only in 1982 and in the joint analysi s of both years, with T3 (RCF) being statistically superior (P/0,05) t o T1 (CCR), but there were no difference between these treatments and T2 (CCR + CF). The steers not supplemented lost steadly weight in the dry season, and had to receive fodder to survive. Corn and cowpea crop residues may either reduce weight losses or permit gain of steers bro wsing caatinga pasture during the dry season.