The experiment was carried out in a leveled lowland area cultivated with Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.). The objective was to compare the effect of nitrogen (N) and different energy supplementation levels on the following parameters: herbage quality, herbage yield, and animal production. The treatments were: 300N + 0.8S - Italian ryegrass pasture plus 300 kg.ha-1 of N and supplementation with ground corn (0.8% LW/day), 200N + 0.4S - Italian ryegrass pasture plus 200 kg.ha-1 of N and supplementation with ground corn (0.4% LW/day) and 100N - Italian ryegrass pasture plus 100 kg.ha-1 of N without supplementation. Beef steers averaging eight to ten months old were used in the beginning of the experiment and allotted to continuous stocking with fixed stocking rate. Crude protein concentration, in vitro organic matter digestibility and forage on offer were greater in the beginning of the grazing period. Difference among treatments was observed only for forage on offer. Nitrogen levels, associated to different energy supplementation levels, did not affect average daily live weight gain, but resulted in greater stocking rate and, consequently, higher live weight gain/ha.
rice; ryegrass; animal performance; planted pasture; urea
