Agradeço a Deus por guiar minha consciência e entendimento, de modo que eu possa progredir na minha existência e por poder contar com diversas mãos que fizeram possível esse trabalho. Para elas tenho lágrimas de gratidão! Aos meus pais, espero um dia retribuir tudo o que fazem por mim.Ao meu irmão Matheus, amizade e simpatia.Aos meus Avós e à minha Madrinha, respeito, amizade e gratidão.À Márcia, desejo-lhe um futuro de flores.Ao Prof. Dr. João Bosco Barreto Filho, obrigado por me iniciar na pesquisa e pela amizade. The objective of experiment I was to evaluate the interaction between two average daily gain (ADG -nutritional factor (high gain HG = 0,700 and low gain LG = 0,300 kg/day)] and expected progeny differences (EPD to age at first calving; genetic factor) on puberty attainment of Nellore heifers. Fifth eight heifers weaned at 8 months of age and daughters of 4 sires [2 precocious (P) and 2 later (L)]. A factorial design 2 x 2 was used, where the factor 1 was the ADG and the factor 2 was the EPD of sire, resulting in four treatments: Precocious sire with HG (PHG), precocious sire with LG (PLG), later sire with HG (LHG) and later sire with LG (LLG). There was effect of treatment in the percentage of pubertal heifers (PHG and PLG = 100%; LHG = 83% until 27 month of age; LLG = 38% until 3 years old). Heifers from the PHG treatment were the youngest (P = 0,0001) (18 months of age). However, the nutritional factor delayed puberty achievement by approximately 10 months the age at puberty in precocious and later heifers (PHG = 18 ± 1 vs. PLG = 29 ± 1 months; LHG = 24 ± 1 vs. LLG = 34 ± 1 months of age). The EPD to age at first calving was the main factor affecting the age at puberty. However, the ADG was limiting to puberty onset. The objective of experiment II was to evaluate the effect of metabolic imprinting from 3 to 7 months of age on puberty attainment of crossbreed heifers (Angus x Nellore). The treatments were arranged in 2 x 2 factorial design, where the factor 1 was high (H) and medium (M) ADG from 3 to 7 months of age (phase 1) and the factor 2 was high and medium ADG from 7 months of age to puberty onset (phase 2), resulting in the following treatments: CHH -crossbreed heifers submitted to high ADG in both phases of experiment; CHM -high ADG in phase 1 and medium ADG in phase 2; CMH -medium ADG in phase 1 and high ADG in phase 2; CMMMedium ADG in both phases. The medium ADG were targeted by restricting of dry mater intake (DMI) in medium ADG. Crossbreed heifers of treatments CHH, CHM, CMH showed the same age at puberty, about 12 months. Heifers submitted to high ADG on phase 2 were heavier (P = 0,0379) at puberty than heifers submitted to low ADG. The high ADG from 3 to 7 months did not affect puberty onset in crossbreed heifers. The objective and methodology used in experiment III was the same of used in experiment II. However, Nellore heifers (N) were used instead of crossbreed heifers and the experimental period ended at 19 months of age. The NHH treatment (84%) induced higher (P = 0,0145) percen...