Desempenho nutricional, produtivo e características de carcaça e da carne de Nelore e mestiços em sistema de terminação intensiva a pasto

Abstract

The modernization of beef cattle production in Brazil, driven by scientific and technological advances, has resulted in significant increases in productivity and product quality. In addition to improvements in management and feeding, the continuous optimization of the genetic potential of animals has contributed to these productive gains. Market demands have been pushing for greater efficiency in the country's beef production sector, highlighting the importance of genetic adaptation of animals to the environment and management to achieve this efficiency. The objective was to evaluate Nelore and crossbreed steers in an intensive pasture finishing system. For this, 8 steers (4 from each group) were used to evaluate nutritional performance, while 80 steers (40 from each group) were used to evaluate productive performance, carcass and meat characteristics. Nutritional performance, carcass and meat pH, rib eye area in relation to live weight, rib eye width, cooking weight loss and shear force at 0 days, conformation, finishing and marbling were not influenced by genetic group . Final body weight, average daily gain, gain/arrobas, carcass yield and dorsal subcutaneous fat thickness were higher for Nellore animals. Crossbred cattle had greater rib eye area in relation to hot carcass weight, rib eye depth and RATIO. The absence of differences between genetic groups in many of the variables studied indicates that the introduction of genes from other breeds in crossbreeds did not result in additional benefits in terms of nutritional and productive performance and carcass and meat characteristics, when compared to Nelore steers. Therefore, the choice of genetic group will depend on specific production objectives and market demands.