Estratégias de manejo do capim papuã para a recria de bovinos de corte

Abstract

The objective was to evaluate the influence of nitrogen fertilizer or energy supplementation on production and quality of a pasture Alexander grass (Urochloa plantaginea) and performance and feeding behavior in the rearing of beef cattle. The work was conducted at UTFPR – DV through continuous grazing in an area of 6.3 ha divided into nine paddocks. The treatments were grazing + nitrogen + supplementation and grazing pasture only, with a supply of fodder average of 10 %. The duration of grazing was 107 days using crossbred (Nellore x Braford), not neutered, with average weight of 276 kg. The chemical analyzes were similar among treatments, differing only for crude protein, being higher in the treatment with nitrogen addition. The accumulation rate was higher in the treatment with nitrogen (55.70 kg DM/ha/day) compared to supplementation and only pasture (40.03 and 39.65 kg DM/ha/day, respectively). Supplementation resulted in higher average daily weight gain (0.815 kg) compared to nitrogen (0.685 kg) and only pasture (0.727 kg). Leisure activities, rumination and water consumption did not differ between treatments, only grazing presented lower in the supplemented animals compared to the other. The number of bits daytime was higher (P<0.005) in the treatment pasture with supplementation and only in relation to treatment with nitrogen fertilization in Alexander grass, (2029.9, 1863.6 and 1715.7, respectively). Supplementation allows higher daily gains and reduces the time spent on grazing without changing other variables such as behavioral, rumination and water intake. The additional application of N did not affect herbage mass, botanical profile and animal performance, despite increasing the accumulation rate and the crude protein content of forage and helps to reduce the number of bits daily and increases the rate of accumulation pasture.