Nitrogen input strategies in pastures: mineral fertilizer, bacterial inoculant and consortium with forage peanuts

Brazil is a prominent country in the production of beef cattle, where pastures are the basis for ruminant feed, because it is the most economical and practical form of food supply. Nitrogen is the main nutrient for maintaining and increasing the productivity of forage grasses, but its application is one of the most costly and greenhouse gas emitting practices for the system. The introduction of this element into the soil-plant-animal complex can be directly, with mineral fertilizers and with other alternatives, for example, through symbiosis of plants with atmospheric nitrogen fixing bacteria and plant growth promoting bacteria. Owing to future climate changes and increasing food demand, plant and animal production systems need to be increasingly competitive, responsible and efficient. Therefore, the objective of this study was to discuss nitrogen supply strategies in pastures: nitrogen fertilization, inoculation with Azospirillum brasilense and consortium with forage peanuts.