CASSAVA ROOT SILAGE IN THE SUPPLEMENT FOR DAIRY COWS KEPT ON PASTURE: EFFECTS ON PRODUCTION, PHYSICOCHEMICAL AND SENSORY COMPOSITION, PRODUCTION COST OF MINAS FRESCAL CHEESE AND BEHAVIOR
Profitability, cheese production, concentrated supplementation, dairy cows.
The objective was to evaluate the production yield, physical-chemical and sensorial characteristics and the economic viability of Minas fresco cheese with the inclusion of cassava root silage (SRM) in the feed supplement for grazing dairy cows. Ten Girolando cows were used, with an average weight of 373.45 ± 63.55 kg and an initial average of 76 days of lactation, distributed in two simultaneous 5 × 5 Latin squares. Five treatments were evaluated, namely: I – cows grazing without concentrated supplementation (SSC); II - grazing cows receiving 5 kg of concentrated supplement with 0% SRM; III - grazing cows receiving 5 kg of concentrated supplement with 26% SRM; IV - grazing cows receiving 5 kg of concentrated supplement with 52% SRM and V - grazing cows receiving 5 kg of concentrated supplement with 78% SRM. The inclusion of SRM was made to replace cornmeal. The contents of fat, protein, total dry extract, moisture, fat in the dry extract, acidity, pH, yield, colorimetric analysis and sensory acceptance test of the cheeses were analyzed. The cost of the animal supplement per day, the cost of supplementation, the cost generated with the production of kg of cheese, profits from cheese production (R$/kg of cheese) were analyzed. Concentrated supplementation increased the protein content of the cheese and individual production (kg of cheese/cow/day) (P<0.05), there was a tendency (P = 0.08) towards greater gross yield for cheeses from SSC cows . The coordinate (b*) and saturation index (Chroma) were higher for cheeses from supplemented animals when compared to SSC animals (P<0.05). The appearance and color of the cheeses had higher scores (P<0.05) for the animals that received concentrated supplementation. The inclusion of SRM in the concentrate did not affect the physical-chemical, sensorial composition and production yields of the cheese, however, it showed a tendency for a linear increase (P=0.09) in luminosity (L*) and trend (P = 0, 06) linear reduction of the coordinate (a*) with the inclusion of SRM. Concentrated supplementation increased production costs (R$/kg/cheese) by R$8.01 to 11.68 when compared to SSC treatment, however, they presented the highest profits. Concentrated supplementation with the highest level (78%) of SRM inclusion had the highest costs and supplementation with 0% cassava had the lowest costs. The costs to supplement with SRM, the inclusion level of 52% was the one with the lowest total production cost, with the best yield and highest net profit. Therefore, supplementation to pasture improves the protein content and yield of cheese production. Cassava root silage can be included up to 78% in replacement of corn, without causing harm to the production, composition and quality of Minas frescal cheese.