The experiment was conducted in Santiago, RS, Brazil, during the period from April 24, 1996 to May 11, 1996. Animal production systems in pastures were evaluated in which the treatments were comparisons between oats + annual ryegrass + arrowleaf clover (O + R + A); oats + annual ryegrass + arrowleaf clover + 150kg/ha of nitrogen (O + R + A + N) and oats + annual ryegrass + 300kg/ha of nitrogen (O + R + N), in a complete randomized design, with three replications. The grazing method was the continuous, with stock adjustements to maintain the dry matter on offer (grazing pressure) in 10%. It was used weaned calves. The parameters evaluated were stocking rate, average daily gain per animal (ADG) and liveweigth gain per hectare (LWG). The stocking rates were higher in the treatments with nitrogen. They were 1140, 1490 and 1652kg LW/ha, respectively to O + R + A; O + R + A + N and O + R + N. The ADG were 0.928 1.091 and 0.839kg/an/day, determining liveweight gains per hectare of 515; 720 and 650kg LW/ha, to the treatments O + R + A; O + R + A + N and O + R + N. The obtained results suggest the utilization of nitrogen fertilization in pastures of oats + annual ryegrass + arrowleaf clover, raising a new alternative to increase the efficiency of pastures production, reduce costs, and achieve hight liveweight gains per area.
continuous grazing; nitrogen fertilizer; Trifolium vesiculosum; Lolium multiflorum; Avena strigosa
