Práticas produtivas para uso do BRS Capiaçu na produção de bovinos de leite na região do Alto Paranaíba, Minas Gerais

Abstract

Dairy farming has high socioeconomic relevance in the Alto Paranaíba region, Minas Gerais, and is predominantly carried out by family farmers who face an increasing need to reduce production costs, especially those related to animal feeding. In this context, the forage cultivar BRS Capiaçu stands out due to its high productive potential and versatility of use as fresh chopped forage or silage. The objective of this study was to characterize the level of technological adoption of BRS Capiaçu in family dairy farms in the region, identifying limitations and potentialities related to its management. This is an observational study conducted through the application of structured questionnaires on farms using the cultivar, with data analyzed by descriptive statistics and Pearson’s correlation using SAS software, version 9.4. The results indicated that the farms are of small to medium productive scale, with predominance of Girolando herds, and that BRS Capiaçu occupies a reduced proportion of the total forage area, although it plays a strategic role in increasing forage production. Correlation analysis showed positive associations between farm size and the number of calves (r = 0.814; p = 0.0041) and dry cows (r = 0.898; p = 0.0004), as well as between the area cultivated with BRS Capiaçu and the number of calves (r = 0.839; p = 0.0024), indicating greater animal support capacity. A positive association was also observed between the number of dry cows and the volume of Capiaçu silage (r = 0.649; p = 0.0425), as well as between the number of calves and the number of dry cows (r = 0.732; p = 0.0160). Negative correlations indicated lower productive efficiency in larger areas, evidenced by the relationship between average Capiaçu yield and cultivated area (r = −0.636; p = 0.0480), and reduced silage losses in farms with greater forage demand, as observed in the association between number of calves and silage losses (r = −0.782; p = 0.0076). It is concluded that BRS Capiaçu constitutes a viable alternative for family farming systems with low to medium productive requirements, especially during the dry season, provided that it is associated with the adoption of appropriate management practices and technical assistance.