The experiment was carried out from 2000 (Year 1) to 2001 (Year 2), in a leveled lowland, to compare the effect of nitrogen levels and energy supplementation levels on the herbage crude protein, in vitro organic matter digestibility and production, animal production and profit. The treatments used in Year 1 were: Italian ryegrass cultivated pasture (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) plus 300 kg.ha of nitrogen (N) and supplementation with ground corn grain at .8% LW/day (300N+.8S); Italian ryegrass pasture plus 200 kg.ha N and supplementation with ground corn grain at .4% LW/day; and Italian ryegrass pasture plus 100 kg.ha N, without supplementation (100N+.0S). In Year 2, the treatments were: Italian ryegrass pasture plus 230 kg.ha N and supplementation with ground corn grain at 1.0% LW/day (230N+1.0S); Italian ryegrass pasture plus 155 kg.ha N and supplementation with ground corn grain at 0.5% LW/day (155N+.5S); and Italian ryegrass pasture plus 80 kg.ha N, without supplementation (80N+.0S). Beef steers under continuous stocking grazing, with variable stocking rate, were used. Dry matter accumulation rate did not show difference among N and supplementation levels. The live weight gain per hectare was higher when higher nitrogen and supplementation levels were used. In 2000, the treatment with the smaller N level and no supplementation resulted in positive net income. In 2001, all treatments showed negative net income. The increasing nitrogen levels with different energy supplementation levels, although increased the stocking rate, did not affect dry matter yield rate and forage quality, resulting in smaller net income.
corn grain; net income; nitrogen ryegrass; supplementation
