Produção de Bovinos de Corte em Pastagem de Capim Mombaça sob Diferentes Níveis de Adubação.

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of nitrogen doses on morphogenetic characteristics, structural, crop growth and performance of beef steers grazing Panicum maximum cv. Mombasa in northern Tocantins. The treatments consisted of the application: 114.2, 228.3 and 342.5 kg/ha of nitrogen applied in the form of ammonium sulfate in the rainy season (December to April 2016). The pasture was also fertilized with 50 kg/ha P2O5 in the form of superphosphate prior to the experiment, and K2O as KCl, applied together with the nitrogen in the ratio 1: 0.5. Twenty-four Nellore steers with nine months of age and 173 kg average weight for performance evaluation and 36 animals regulators to maintain forage output high. The pasture was managed in a rotational grazing, with seven days of grazing and 21 days rest. For measures related to morphogenesis, structure and chemical composition, was used a randomized block design, with measurements repeated in time, three treatments, two blocks per treatment with four cycles and four replications (paddocks) per block, evaluating the interaction and between treatment cycles. For evaluation of animal performance was used completely randomized design with repeated measurements over time, with three treatments, four grazing cycles and eight repetitions (animals) per treatment, evaluating the interaction between treatments and cycles. The variables were subjected to analysis of variance at 5% significance by Student's t test. Higher doses of nitrogen did not affect the leaf elongation rate, leaf appearance rate, stem elongation rate, phyllochron and tiller population density (p>0.05), however, they suffered influence of grazing cycles (p<0.05), with the exception of phyllochron. With increasing N rate of 114.2 to 342.5 kg pre-grazing the leaf area index increased from 8.86 to 13.84 m2 . The final length of the expanded sheets suffered increments of 9.6% with the highest dose (p<0.05). The higher dose of nitrogen increased the cultural growth rate (p<0.05) values of 254.74 and 188.41 kg/ha.day at higher and lower dose, respectively. The dry weight of the total forage, the leaf blades and pre-grazing green stem were affected with the dose of 342.5 kg/ha of N (p<0.05), increasing by 19.2; 20.7 and 32.6%, respectively, compared to lower doses. There was a decrease of NDF and ADF contents and increased BP (p<0.05) with increasing doses of 114.2 to 342.5 kg. The average daily gain of the animals was not affected by treatments (p>0.05), with an average of 0.470 kg/animal.day, however, the gain per area and the stocking rate were increased by the higher dose, particularly in two intermediate cycles (2 and 3), with average values of 5.51 and 6.38 kg/ha.day and stocking rate of 5.5 and 7.0 AU/ha in doses of 114.2 and 342,5kg nitrogen, respectively. The blood parameters were not affected by nitrogen levels (p>0.05). We conclude that in Mombaçagrass grazing the morphostructural characteristics related to leaf area index, final length of the leaves and cultural growth rate increase with the elevation of 114.2 doses of nitrogen to 342.5 kg/ha nitrogen. The dry weight of the total forage and its morphological components is increased with doses of 342.5 kg/ha of nitrogen. The use of higher nitrogen dose improves the nutritional quality of Mombasa, reducing NDF and ADF contents and increasing the crude protein fraction in dry matter. Increasing doses of 114.2 to 342.5 kg/ha of nitrogen does not improve the performance of individual animals, however, increases productivity per area.