Mixed pastures of Brachiaria decumbens with Stylosanthes guianensis cv. Mineirão and B. brizantha cv. Marandu with S. guianensis cv. Mineirão, under three stocking rates (0.8, 1.2 and 1.6 AU/ha) were evaluated in regard to the animal daily gain and liveweight gain per ha, in the Brazilian Savanna, in order to suggest the most adequate management. A randomized block in a split-plot design with two replicates was used. The plots treatments were constituted of a 2x3 factorial, two grasses (Brachiaria decumbens and B. brizantha cv. Marandu) associated with Stylosanthes guianensis cv. Mineirão and three stocking rates (0.8, 1.2 and 1.6 AU/ha), and the split-plot as year seasons. Weaned Nellore steers (average initial weight of 138 kg), in the beginning of the experiment, were used. The grass, season and stocking rate affected the daily average weight gain. Animals grazing B. decumbens showed higher DWG than those grazing B. brizantha (409 x 333 g/head.day). It was observed higher DWG in the rainy season in relation to the dry season (490 and 194 g/head.day). DWG decreased linearly as stocking rate increased, and values of 435, 371 and 308 g/head.day were estimated for stocking rates of 0.8, 1.2 and 1.6 AU/ha, respectively. Animals grazing B. decumbens showed higher production per ha than those grazing B. brizantha, with liveweight gains of 464 and 352 kg/ha.year, respectively. Weight gain per ha was affected by grass and year season. The production per ha was higher in the rainy season than in the dry one, with average values of 331 and 77 kg/ha.year, respectively. The stocking rate did not affect production per ha, however, there was curvilinear tendency, indicating that the most adequate stocking rate ranged from 1.25 to 1.30 UA/ha.
Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu; Brachiaria decumbens; live-weight gain; Stylosanthes guianensis cv. Mineirão
