Biological and economic efficiency of Panicum maximum fertilized with nitrogen in the end of summer

Abstract

The objective of the work was to estimate animal live weight gain, the pasture carrying capacity, and the bioeconomic efficiency of Panicum maximum, cultivar Tanzânia pastures, with a second application of nitrogen fertilizer in the end of summer (March). Maintenance fertilizer was 50, 17.5 and 33.2 kg ha^-1 of N, P and K, respectively, applied annually in November. Besides, in half of the area, an additional 50 kg ha^-1 of N was applied in March. Treatments were tanzânia pastures with two levels of nitrogen fertilization, 50 and 100 kg ha^-1. The paddocks were submitted to a rotational grazing. Four steers were kept in each paddock, and additional steers were allocated and removed to assure similar postgrazing residues. There was no effect of N fertlization on average daily gain. However, the pasture fertilized with 100 kg ha^-1 de N (1,8 UA ha^-1) resulted in greater carrying capacity and productivity (780 kg ha^-1 of liveweight per year) than that observed in the one fertilized with 50 kg ha^-1 de N (1,5 UA ha^-1) and productivity of 690 kg ha^-1 per year of liveweight, on average. The efficiency of N conversion into animal product was 1.8 kg LW ha^-1 for each additional kilogram of N applied. Additional N fertilization in March, is a bioeconomically viable alternative for producing sustainable beef.