Three varietiesof Panicum maximum Jacq. were evaluated by measuring ingestive behaviorcomponents (bite size, grazing time, and rate of eating) for one year underrotational grazing. The treatments were: 1) v. Tanzânia + 50 kg N/ha,2) v. Tanzânia + 100 kg N/ha, 3) v. Mombaça + 50 kg N/ha, and 4)v. Massai + 50 kg N/ha. The values for bite size were probably overestimated,even so, values lower than 300 g DM/bite size were observed, a critical consideration,in the dry period. There was a tendency for smaller size bites with v. Massaiduring the dry period, probably due to distribution of leaves and dead materialpresent in the pasture. There were no differences in time of pasturing amongtreatments and between seasons of evaluation, but the standard of distributionfor time spent grazing along with the day was modified by the different seasons.Few differences in rate of eating were observed among the varieties. The rateof eating tended to increase with the length of time in the plots. Among thecomponents of ingestive behavior the only significant correlation observed wasbetween time of pasturing and bite size (r = -0.45).
