MILK-PRODUCTION FROM PASTURES AND CASSAVA (MANIHOT-SCULENTA) OR SWEET-POTATO (IPOMEA-BATATA) INTEGRAL FORAGE PLANT SUPPLEMENTATION

Twenty four tropical Holstein cows with an average weight of 476 kg, a verage milk yield of 10.5 litres and 125 days of lactation were used i n a balanced Latin square design to evaluate: A) the integral cassava plant (foliage + tubercle) at a rate of 15 kg/cow/day wet basis), B) s weet potato integral plant (foliage + tubercle) at the same rate and C ) pasture only(control). The animals grazed in common paddocks of berm uda grass 67 (Cynodon dactylon) from 5 p.m. to 6 a.m. After that time they remained in the dairy unit with water and mineral salts ad libitu m, and the supplement according to the treatment. The cassava excelled by 21% sweet potato and this in turn the control (9.7, 7.6 and 6.4 li tres/cow/day, respectively). The results suggest the advantages of the integral cassava plant for dairy cow feeding as a supplement to pastu re under these conditions.