A aqüicultura desenvolveu-se rapidamente nos últimos anos, sendo a carcinicultura um dos segmentos mais lucrativos e crescentes, onde a ração representa o custo mais elevado da produção e a maior fonte de poluição das fazendas de camarão. Nesse contexto, verifica-se a busca por rações de qualidade e novos ingredientes. Assim, o presente trabalho objetivou aperfeiçoar o método in vivo de análise da digestibilidade de rações, desenvolvendo sistemas de cultivo (aquários: 14,3L e tanques: 160L), com recirculação de água marinha e filtro biológico, empregando rações comerciais (fase de crescimento) e dietas experimentais com diferentes produtos da soja (farelo de soja, farelo de soja texturIzado e farelo de soja micronizado) e marcador de óxido crômico (teste de digestibilidade) em camarões da espécie Litopenaeus vannamei. Os sistemas e a manutenção aplicada foram eficientes na conservação da estabilidade dos parâmetros abióticos monitorados (compostos nitrogenados, temperatura, salinidade e pH). Os camarões apresentaram maior ganho de peso (P<0,05) com menores coeficientes de variação nos tanques. Não houve diferenças (P>0,05) entre as dietas testadas (aquários), mas a digestibilidade acompanhou o maior processamento da soja (tanques). Os resultados sugerem a maior adequabilidade dos tanques para testes nutricionais. / Aquaculture have developed quickly in the last years, being the shrimp culture the more profitable and increasing sector. Feed comprise the highest variable costs of production and a major pollution source from shrimp farms. Hence is the search for quality feeds and new ingredients. Thus, the present work aimed to improve the in vivo method of feed protein digestibility, developing culture systems (aquariums: 14,3L and tanks: 160L) with seawater recirculation and biological filters. Commercial feeds (growth phase) and experimental diets with different soy products (soybean meal, texturized soybean meal and micronized soybean meal) with chromic oxide as marker (digestibility test) in Litopenaeus vannamei shrimps. Systems and maintenance procedures were efficient in the conservation of abiotic parameters (nitrogen products, temperature, salinity and pH). Shrimps showed higher weight gain (P<0,05) with low variation coefficient in the tanks compared to aquaria. No difference (P>0,05) was observed between the diets tested in the aquaria. But the digestibility was major to higher processed soybean meal (tanks). The results suggest the better adequacy to nutritional tests.

A aqüicultura desenvolveu-se rapidamente nos últimos anos, sendo a carcinicultura um dos segmentos mais lucrativos e crescentes, onde a ração representa o custo mais elevado da produção e a maior fonte de poluição das fazendas de camarão. Nesse contexto, verifica-se a busca por rações de qualidade e novos ingredientes. Assim, o presente trabalho objetivou aperfeiçoar o método in vivo de análise da digestibilidade de rações, desenvolvendo sistemas de cultivo (aquários: 14,3L e tanques: 160L), com recirculação de água marinha e filtro biológico, empregando rações comerciais (fase de crescimento) e dietas experimentais com diferentes produtos da soja (farelo de soja, farelo de soja texturIzado e farelo de soja micronizado) e marcador de óxido crômico (teste de digestibilidade) em camarões da espécie Litopenaeus vannamei. Os sistemas e a manutenção aplicada foram eficientes na conservação da estabilidade dos parâmetros abióticos monitorados (compostos nitrogenados, temperatura, salinidade e pH). Os camarões apresentaram maior ganho de peso (P<0,05) com menores coeficientes de variação nos tanques. Não houve diferenças (P>0,05) entre as dietas testadas (aquários), mas a digestibilidade acompanhou o maior processamento da soja (tanques). Os resultados sugerem a maior adequabilidade dos tanques para testes nutricionais. / Aquaculture have developed quickly in the last years, being the shrimp culture the more profitable and increasing sector. Feed comprise the highest variable costs of production and a major pollution source from shrimp farms. Hence is the search for quality feeds and new ingredients. Thus, the present work aimed to improve the in vivo method of feed protein digestibility, developing culture systems (aquariums: 14,3L and tanks: 160L) with seawater recirculation and biological filters. Commercial feeds (growth phase) and experimental diets with different soy products (soybean meal, texturized soybean meal and micronized soybean meal) with chromic oxide as marker (digestibility test) in Litopenaeus vannamei shrimps. Systems and maintenance procedures were efficient in the conservation of abiotic parameters (nitrogen products, temperature, salinity and pH). Shrimps showed higher weight gain (P<0,05) with low variation coefficient in the tanks compared to aquaria. No difference (P>0,05) was observed between the diets tested in the aquaria. But the digestibility was major to higher processed soybean meal (tanks). The results suggest the better adequacy to nutritional tests.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The dry matter intake, ingestive behavior and displacement patterns were evaluated on beef heifers exclusively on pasture or receiving oats grain daily ( frequent ) or from Monday to Friday ( infrequent ) in "Vegetative" and "Reproductive" phenological stages of Alexandergrass (Urochloa plantaginea Link.). The grazing method was continuous with a variable number of animals. The experimental design was completely randomized, in a factorial 3 x 2 arrangement (three supplementation frequency and two phenological stages). Forage intake was estimated using chromium oxide as an indicator of fecal output. Forage intake was greater for heifers exclusively on pasture and daily supplemented (2.91% of body weight (BW)) than for heifers receiving infrequent supplementation (2.00% of BW). Forage intake was greater in "Vegetative" than "Reproductive stage. Changes in supplementation frequency and phenological stages of Alexandergrass caused variation in the use of feeding stations. The grazing time was diminished and the bites were heavier when heifers received daily supplementation. The bite weight and grazing time were similar in phenological stages while the bite rate decreased in the reproductive stage. Changes in supplementation frequency and in phenological stages of alexandergrass modify the feeding behavior and forage intake of beef heifers. / Nos estádios fenológicos Vegetativo e Reprodutivo do papuã (Urochloa plantaginea Link.) foram avaliados a ingestão de matéria seca, comportamento ingestivo e padrões de deslocamento de novilhas só em pastejo ou recebendo grão de aveia diariamente (frequente) ou de segunda a sexta-feira (infrequente). O método de pastejo foi continuo com número variável de animais. O delineamento experimental foi inteiramente casualizado, arranjado em esquema fatorial 3 x 2, três frequências alimentares e dois estádios fenológicos. A ingestão de matéria seca foi estimada por meio de técnica do óxido de cromo como indicador da produção fecal. Animais em pastagem exclusiva de papuã e com suplemento diário consumiram mais forragem (2,91% do PC em MS) que os animais que receberam suplemento de forma infrequente (2,00% do PC em MS). O consumo de forragem foi maior no estádio Vegetativo que no Reprodutivo . O uso das estações alimentares é modificado em resposta as frequências de suplementação e aos estádios fenológicos. Novilhas que receberam suplemento diariamente pastejaram por menor tempo e colheram bocados mais pesados. O peso de bocado e o tempo de pastejo foram semelhantes nos estádios fenológicos do pasto enquanto a taxa de bocado diminuiu no estádio reprodutivo.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The animal performance, ingestive behavior and forage intake by beef heifers in Pearl millet (Pennisetum americanum (L.) Leeke) and Alexandergrass (Urochloa plantaginea) were studied. The experiment was carried out between January and April of 2008, in the Department of Animal Science of the Federal University of Santa Maria. The grazing method utilized was continuous with variable number of animals. Four animal testers, beef heifers Aberdeen Angus crossbreed, with average weight of 260 kg and 15 months old were used in each paddock. The put and take technique was used to keep the forage mass around three t/ha of dry matter. The experimental design was completely randomized with repeated measures in time, three replications for Pearl millet and five for Alexandergrass. The animal performance, patterns of ingestion (bite mass, bite rate), animal behavior (grazing, idle and rumination), chemical and morphologic composition of the forage and animal forage intake were evaluated as output variables. The forage intake was measured in the vegetative and reproductive phenological stages of the plants utilizing the technique of chromic oxide. The animals were dosified during twelve days and the feces were collected during six days in each period of evaluation. The animal behavior was studied by visual observation in four 24-hour continuous periods. The ingestive behavior and the intake rate were similar between species. The variables measured in the pasture had not presented correlation with the components of animal behavior. The daily average temperature was negatively correlated with grazing time. The herbage intake, of 2.49% of the body weight, the weight gain of 0.779 g/heifer/day and the stocking rate of 6.7 were similar in Pearl millet and Alexandergrass (P> 0.05). The total digestible nutrient content, the canopy height, the bite mass and the relative humidity presented high correlation with the herbage intake and can be used in the development of models to predict the performance of grazing animals. The utilization of Alexandergrass infested areas, with grazing animals, provides similar animal performance as in Pearl millet pasture. / Foram estudados o desempenho, comportamento e ingestão de forragem por novilhas de corte em milheto (Pennisetum americanum (L.) Leeke) e papuã (Urochloa plantagínea),de janeiro a abril de 2008. Foi utilizado o método de pastejo continuo com número variável de animais. O delineamento experimental foi o inteiramente casualizado com medidas repetidas no tempo. Foram avaliadas as seguintes variáveis-resposta: desempenho, padrões de ingestão (massa de bocado, taxa de bocados e número de bocados), comportamento (tempos de pastejo, ruminação, ócio), composição química e morfológica da forragem e ingestão de forragem. As avaliações de comportamento foram feitas por meio de observação visual, em quatro períodos contínuos de 24 horas. Os valores médios de massa de forragem, oferta de forragem e oferta de lâminas foliares foram de 3927 kg/ha de MS, 14,6 kg de MS/100 kg de PC e 3,36 kg de MS/100 kg de PC, respectivamente. As variáveis do pasto, desempenho animal, comportamento ingestivo e ingestão de forragem foram semelhantes em milheto e papuã (P>0,05). A ingestão de forragem foi de 2,49% do peso corporal. As variáveis da forragem, desempenho animal e tempos de pastejo, ócio e ruminação e número de bocados por dia, apresentaram variação ao longo dos dias de utilização da pastagem (P<0,05). A média de ganho médio diário foi 0,799 kg/dia, e foi limitado pela ingestão de energia. A pastagem de papuã permite obter ganhos individuais e taxas de lotações semelhantes à pastagem de milheto. Em áreas infestadas com capim papuã, sua utilização em pastejo proporciona desempenho semelhante ao do milheto.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / O abastecimento público de água em termos de qualidade e quantidade é uma preocupação crescente da humanidade, em função da escassez de recurso hídrico e da deterioração da qualidade dos mananciais. A desinfecção é o objetivo principal e mais comum da cloração, porem aparecem os subprodutos como os THMs (trihalometanos), como produtos resultantes da reação entre substâncias químicas que se utilizam no tratamento oxidativo e matérias orgânicas naturalmente presentes na água. A doença renal crônica constitui, atualmente, importante problema de saúde pública. No Brasil, a prevalência de pacientes mantidos em programas ssistenciais destinados ao controle e tratamento de Insuficiência Renal Crônica (IRC) dobrou nos últimos anos. Em Boa Vista, Roraima não foi realizado nenhum estudo com relação a níveis de THM na água potável distribuída pela Estação de Tratamento. Portanto, houve necessidade de identificar os níveis de clorofórmio na água potável distribuída e verificar possível relação com incidência de insuficiência renal crônica na população atendida pela Estação de Tratamento de Água (ETA). Utilizamos amostras de água da ETA de Boa Vista, Roraima, e estas foram analisadas através da Extração em Fase Sólida (SPE) e posteriormente pela espectrofotometria. Nossas amostras foram coletadas nos meses de janeiro a julho de 2011 na saída da Estação de Tratamento de Água de Boa. Também verificamos a incidência de Insuficiência Renal Crônica em Boa Vista, RR nos anos de 2008 e 2009 no serviço de faturamento do Hospital Geral de Roraima. Realizamos um bioensaio com Ratos Wistar Rattus norvegicusm, fornecido pelo Biotério da Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul. Os ratos ao término de 80 dias foram sacrificados, retirados os rins e enviados ao Laboratório Central de Roraima para confecção das lâminas histológicas e análise da lesão renal. Obtivemos concentrações de clorofórmio em todos os meses analisados. Durante o bioensaio recriamos as condições onde os ratos ingeriram dosagens diferentes de clorofórmio na água potável (100 e 300 mg/kg). Em nosso estudo elaboramos um método novo para confecção da curva analítica de calibração para o clorofórmio, sendo este um método de baixo custo de mercado e de fácil aplicação. O método proposto apresentou boa precisão e linearidade atendendo o interesse aos limites máximos estabelecidos pela Portaria 518/2004 do Ministério da Saúde, garantindo a aplicabilidade do mesmo para a análise simultânea de clorofórmio em água destinada ao consumo humano. / The public water supply in terms of quality and quantity is a growing concern of mankind, because of water scarcity and deteriorating quality of water sources. Disinfection is the primary purpose of chlorination and more common, but it appears as the by-products like THMs products of the reaction between chemicals that are used to treat oxidative and organic materials naturally present in water. Chronic kidney disease is currently an important public health problem. In Brazil, the prevalence of patients maintained on welfare programs for the control and treatment of chronic renal failure (CRF) has doubled in recent years. In Boa Vista, Roraima was not carried out any studies regarding THM levels in drinking water by sewage treatment plant. Therefore, it was necessary to identify the levels of chloroform in drinking water and check the possible relation with the incidence of chronic renal failure in the population served by ETA. We use water from the water treatment station in Boa Vista, Roraima, and these were analyzed by Solid Phase Extraction (SPE) and subsequently by spectrophotometry. Our samples were collected in January, February, March, April, May and June 2011 off the Water Treatment Plant for Good. We found the incidence of chronic renal failure in Boa Vista, in the years 2007 to 2009 in billing service General Hospital of Roraima. For the bioassay used adult females, with approximately five weeks, Wistar rats Rattus lineage norvegicusm provided by the vivarium of the Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul mice at the end of 80 days were sacrificed, kidneys removed and sent to Central Laboratory Roraima to make the slides and histological analysis of renal injury. Obtained concentrations of chloroform in all months analyzed. During the bioassay re-create the conditions where rats ingested different doses of chloroform in drinking water (100 and 300 mg / kg). In our study we developed a new method to construct the analytical calibration curve for chloroform, which is a low-cost market and easy to apply. The proposed method showed good precision and linearity having the interest to the ceilings established by Decree 518/2004 of the Ministry of Health, ensuring the applicability thereof to the simultaneous analysis of chloroform in water intended for human consumption.

Incontinence diapers or disposable absorbent pads provide essential help to people having such a physical difficulty. However, during prolonged used of these products in daily life, the skin inside pad area may get fragile and damaged which are difficult to recover in old ages. Therefore a skin friendly sensor can be added to the inner layer of pad that would monitor the skin condition and signal any abnormalities to the wearer. Smart materials which can change color upon variation of skin pH were incorporated with synthetic nonwoven layers of the pad. Among various incorporation methods of these materials, ‘sol-gel’ coating technique was found to be successfulfor applications on optical sensor and on fewother fabric types. Thus ‘sol-gel’ method with modified recipe for different dye and chemical combinations were experimented in this project.Several developed samples showed color change (e.g. yellow to red) that can be easily detected by wearers’ eyes.Additionally, the methods and materials involved showed no adverse effect on health and environment. Thus this study succeeds to provide with a mean for skin health monitor based on nonwoven textiles by incorporation of color changing materials.

The lap shear strength of chromic acid anodized, primed, Ti-6Al-4V alloy bonded with a high performance FM-5 polyimide adhesive has been investigated as a function of thermal treatment for selected times at various temperatures in air. The research findings indicate that the lap shear strength decreases with the increase in duration of the thermal treatment at constant temperature and with the increase in temperature at constant time. The bond fails increasingly in the oxide coating with increasing treatment temperature and time of treatment. Surface analysis results for debonded specimens suggest that the process leading to failure is the formation of fluorine-containing materials within the oxide, which weakens the adherend-adhesive bond. The formation of the fluorine components is facilitated by treatment at elevated temperatures. This study suggests that the presence of fluoride ions in the anodic oxide coating, prior to bonding, is detrimental to the bond strength of adhesively bonded Ti-alloy when exposed to high temperatures. The wedge test configuration was used to investigate the influence of temperature on the bond durability of adhesively bonded chromic acid anodized Ti-6Al-4V alloy in air. Based on the average crack length vs. exposure time data, the bond durability varied in the order -25°C > 24°C > 177°C. In each case, the bonded joint failed cohesively within the adhesive, irrespective of the temperature of exposure. XPS analysis and scanning electron photomicrographs of failure surfaces revealed that the failure occurred at the scrim cloth/adhesive interface. The influence of thermal treatment history on the bond durability of adhesively bonded chromic acid anodized Ti-6Al-4V alloy immersed in boiling water was also investigated. The average crack length vs. immersion time indicated no significant differences for specimens that were thermally treated and then bonded compared to the non-thermally treated specimens. In addition, the failure mode was cohesive within the adhesive for specimens prepared using various thermal treatment conditions. The crack growths for samples treated for 0.5 hour and 1.0 hour and for non-thermally treated specimens for any given exposure time were equivalent. In addition, cohesive failure (failure within adhesive) was observed for each specimen under each treatment condition. The specimens that were bonded and then thermally treated for 3 hours, failed in the oxide coating immediately upon insertion of the wedge. Surface analysis results for debonded specimens suggest that the process leading to failure is the formation of fluorine-containing materials within the oxide. The measured average activation energy for the formation of aluminum fluoride species is 149 kJ/mol. The high activation energy suggests that the rate of aluminum fluoride formation is substantial only at high temperatures. In summary, the presence of fluorides in the anodic oxide coatings prior to bonding is detrimental to the overall strength and durability of adhesively bonded chromic acid anodized Ti-6Al-4V joints which have been exposed to high temperatures (350°C-399°C). / Ph. D.

When bonded joints are subjected to harsh environmental conditions, the interphase, the three-dimensional region surrounding the adhesive/substrate interface, becomes critically important. Frequently, failure occurs in this region after adhesively bonded systems are subjected to elevated temperature oxidative aging. In a previous study, this was found to be the case with a polyimide adhesive bonded to chromic acid anodized (CAA) Ti-6Al-4V. The objective of the current research has been twofold: 1) to investigate the effect of thermal aging on the interphase region of polyimide/titanium adhesive joints, and 2) to evaluate the method used in the current study for durability characterization of other adhesive/substrate systems. The method used in this research has been to characterize the effect of elevated temperature aging on the following systems: 1) Notched coating adhesion (NCA) specimens and 2) bulk samples of dispersed substrate particles in an adhesive matrix. The NCA test has the advantages of an accelerated aging geometry and a mode mix that leads to failure through the interphase, the region of interest. The bulk samples have the advantage of an increased interphase volume and allow for the application of bulk analysis techniques to the interphase, a region that is traditionally limited to surface analysis techniques. The adhesive systems studied consisted of one of two polyimide adhesives, LaRC© PETI-5 or Cytec Fiberite© FM-5, bonded to CAA Ti-6Al-4V. The model filled system consisted of a PETI-5 matrix with amorphous titanium dioxide filler. Through the use of the NCA test, it was determined that bonded specimens made with FM-5 lose approximately 50% of their original fracture energy when aged in air at 177°C for 30 days. This aging temperature is well below the glass transition temperature of the adhesive, 250°C. At the same time, the failure location moves from the anodized oxide layer to the adhesive that is directly adjacent to the substrate surface, the interphase region. Through surface analysis of this region, it is determined that the adhesive penetrates the pores of the CAA surface to a depth of 70 to 100 nm, promoting adhesion at the interface. With aging, the adhesive in the interphase region appears to be weakening, although analysis of the bulk adhesive after aging shows little change. This indicates that adhesive degradation is enhanced in the interphase compared to the bulk. Analysis of the model filled system gave similar information. Specimens containing titanium dioxide filler had glass transition temperatures that were approximately 20°C lower than the neat polyimide samples. In addition, the filled samples contained a significant portion of low molecular weight extractable material that was not present in the neat specimens. The tan delta spectra from dynamic mechanical thermal analysis of the filled specimens exhibited a shoulder on the high-temperature side of the glass transition peak. This shoulder is attributed to the glass transition of the interphase, a distinct phase of the polyimide which is constrained by adsorption onto the filler particle surfaces. As a function of aging time at 177° or 204°C, the shoulder decreases substantially in magnitude, which may relate to loss of adhesive strength between the polyimide and the filler particles. From this research, it has been illustrated that information relating to the durability of adhesively bonded systems is gained using an interfacially debonding adhesive test and a model system of substrate particles dispersed in an adhesive matrix / Ph. D.

Grocott metoden är den känsligaste metoden för infärgning av svampstrukturer i histologisk vävnad i jämförelse med till exempel Periodic Acid-Schiff (PAS). Handhavandet av det cancerogena oxidationsmedlet kromsyra samt tidsaspekten för Grocott är signifikanta problem. Syftet med studien var att undersöka om den automatiserade färgningsmetoden för Grocott ger likvärdiga resultat som vid den manuella färgningsmetoden. Tolv preparat färgades med både den manuella och den automatiserade metoden för Grocott. Den automatiserade färgningsmetoden använder ett färdigt kit med alla ingående lösningar. Visuell bedömning av preparaten utfördes med hjälp av legitimerade biomedicinska analytiker samt en patolog. Svampstrukturer i åtta av ela preparat samt kontroll bedömdes vara tydligare infärgade med den automatiserade metoden i färhållande till den manuella. Svampstrukturer i endast ett preparat bedömdes vara tydligare infärgade med den manuella metoden. Resterande två preparat visade inga svampstrukturer. Resultaten tyder på att den automatiserade färgningsmetoden för Grocott ger likvärdiga, alternativt tydligare infrägning av svampstrukturer i jämförelse med den manuella metoden. / The Grocott method is the most sensitive staining method for fungal structures in histological tissues in comparison to for example Periodic Acid-Schiff (PAS). Usage of the cancerogenic chromic acid and the time aspect for Grocott are significant problems. The aim of this study was to examine if the automated staining method for Grocott provides equivalent results in comparison to the manual staining method. Twelve tissue sections were stained with both the automated and the manual method. The automated method contains a kit with all solutions. Visual evaluation was conducted with authorized biomedical scientists and a pathologist. Fungi structures in eight of eleven tissue sections and a control were evaluated as more distinct in the automated method in comparison to the manual method. Fungal structures in one of the tissue sections were evaluated more distinct in the manual method. In the remaining two tissue sections, no fungal structures were identified. Results from this study indicates that the automated staining method for Grocott provides equally, alternatively more distinct fungal staining in comparison to the manual method.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / The ingestive behavior and the ingestion of forage by beef heifers were evaluated in the vegetative and flowering stages of ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum L.). The treatments were: grazing exclusively on ryegrass, ryegrass intercropping with vetch (Vicia sativa L.) or red clover (Trifolium pratense L.). The grazing method was continuous with variable stocking. The experimental design was the completely randomized with repeated measures arrangement, three forage systems and three repetitions of area. For evaluations of forage intake, chromic oxide was used as an indicator of fecal production and heifers were considered as experimental units. The forage mass, allowance of forage and allowance of leaf blades were, 1596.2 kg / ha DM, 12 kg DM / 100 kg BW and 4.5 kg DM / 100 kg BW respectively. The participation of vetch and red clover in the forage mass corresponded to 13.2% and 4.5% respectively in the vegetative stage. In the flowering stage, the participation of legumes corresponded to 0.6%. In forage as grazed, crude protein (17.8%), neutral detergent fiber (55.8%) and in situ dry matter digestibility (76.7%) were similar among forage systems. These variables differed between phenological stages of ryegrass. The grazing time differed between the systems being superior in the system with vetch. The forage intake rate in the clover system was higher than the other systems. The dry matter intake was similar among forage systems and was higher in the vegetative stage compared to the flowering stage. The average daily gain was similar among forage systems and phenological stages. With little participation of red clover or vetch in the herbage mass intercropped with ryegrass, it does not modify the intake of dry matter, crude protein and neutral detergent fiber, resulting in the same performance of beef heifers. / Foram avaliados o comportamento ingestivo e a ingestão de forragem por bezerras de corte, nos estádios vegetativo e de florescimento do azevém (Lolium multiflorum L.). Os tratamentos foram: pastagem exclusiva de azevém, azevém consorciado com ervilhaca (Vícia sativa L.) ou com trevo vermelho (Trifolium pratense L.). O método de pastejo foi o contínuo com lotação variável. O delineamento experimental foi o inteiramente casualizado com medidas repetidas no tempo, três sistemas forrageiros e três repetições de área. Para as avaliações da estimativa de ingestão de forragem, foi utilizado o óxido de cromo como indicador da produção fecal e as bezerras foram consideradas as unidades experimentais. A massa de forragem, oferta de forragem e oferta de lâminas foliares foram: 1596,2 kg/ha de MS, 12 kg de MS/100 kg PC e 4,5 kg de MS/ 100 kg PC, respectivamente. A participação de “ervilhaca” e “trevo vermelho” na massa de forragem correspondeu a 13,2% e 4,5% respectivamente no estádio vegetativo. No estádio de florescimento o percentual das leguminosas correspondeu a 0,6%. Na forragem da simulação do pastejo, a proteína bruta (17,8%), fibra em detergente neutro (55,8%) e digestibilidade in situ da matéria seca (76,7%), foram similares entre os sistemas forrageiros. Essas variáveis diferiram entre estádios fenológicos do azevém. O tempo de pastejo diferiu entre os sistemas sendo superior no sistema com ervilhaca. A taxa de ingestão de forragem no sistema com trevo foi superior aos demais sistemas. A ingestão de matéria seca foi similar entre os sistemas forrageiros e foi maior no estádio vegetativo em relação ao estádio de florescimento. O ganho médio diário foi semelhante entre sistemas forrageiros e estádios fenológicos. Com pequena participação de “trevo vermelho” ou “ervilhaca” na massa de forragem consorciada com azevém, a ingestão de matéria seca, de proteína bruta e de fibra em detergente neutro não são modificadas resultando em mesmo desempenho de bezerras de corte.