Managing the grazing resource for animal production in savannas of tropical America

Research carried out to evaluate management options and animal production potential of native and improved pastures in savanna regions of tropical America is reviewed, with emphasis on Colombia's Eastern Plains. In areas with limited infrastructure native grasses are the main forage resource and wei...

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Main Author: Lascano Aguilar, Carlos Eduardo
Format: Journal Article
Language:Inglés
Published: 1991
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/43649
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author Lascano Aguilar, Carlos Eduardo
author_browse Lascano Aguilar, Carlos Eduardo
author_facet Lascano Aguilar, Carlos Eduardo
author_sort Lascano Aguilar, Carlos Eduardo
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Research carried out to evaluate management options and animal production potential of native and improved pastures in savanna regions of tropical America is reviewed, with emphasis on Colombia's Eastern Plains. In areas with limited infrastructure native grasses are the main forage resource and weight gains of cattle grazing these native pastures with burning and mineral supplementation vary from 70 to 90 kg/hd and from 15 to 20 kg/ha. As infrastructure improves, the strategic use of grass-legume pastures to complement the native savanna, together with the use of mineral supplementation, could increase individual weight gains by 40 percent. In savanna areas with good infrastructure, improved grasses adapted to acid soils replace the native vegetation and, together with mineral supplementation and appropriate grazing management, increase animal production/unit area 10 times compared to native pastures. However, these pastures do not persist over time because of N deficiency and pests. The highest and more stable gains could be obtained with legume-based pastures, which, in turn, depend on high management inputs. On the acid soils of tropical American savannas, these legume-based pastures can play an important role in agropastoral systems.
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spelling CGSpace436492023-02-15T05:15:55Z Managing the grazing resource for animal production in savannas of tropical America Lascano Aguilar, Carlos Eduardo andropogon gayanus stylosanthes capitata centrosema acutifolium brachiaria dictyoneura brachiaria decumbens brachiaria humidicola brachiaria brizantha arachis pintoi variedades praderas manejo de praderas praderas naturales producción animal aumentos de peso suplementos alimentarios sistemas agropastoriles sabanas llanos orientales Research carried out to evaluate management options and animal production potential of native and improved pastures in savanna regions of tropical America is reviewed, with emphasis on Colombia's Eastern Plains. In areas with limited infrastructure native grasses are the main forage resource and weight gains of cattle grazing these native pastures with burning and mineral supplementation vary from 70 to 90 kg/hd and from 15 to 20 kg/ha. As infrastructure improves, the strategic use of grass-legume pastures to complement the native savanna, together with the use of mineral supplementation, could increase individual weight gains by 40 percent. In savanna areas with good infrastructure, improved grasses adapted to acid soils replace the native vegetation and, together with mineral supplementation and appropriate grazing management, increase animal production/unit area 10 times compared to native pastures. However, these pastures do not persist over time because of N deficiency and pests. The highest and more stable gains could be obtained with legume-based pastures, which, in turn, depend on high management inputs. On the acid soils of tropical American savannas, these legume-based pastures can play an important role in agropastoral systems. 1991 2014-09-24T08:42:27Z 2014-09-24T08:42:27Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/43649 en Open Access
spellingShingle andropogon gayanus
stylosanthes capitata
centrosema acutifolium
brachiaria dictyoneura
brachiaria decumbens
brachiaria humidicola
brachiaria brizantha
arachis pintoi
variedades
praderas
manejo de praderas
praderas naturales
producción animal
aumentos de peso
suplementos alimentarios
sistemas agropastoriles
sabanas
llanos orientales
Lascano Aguilar, Carlos Eduardo
Managing the grazing resource for animal production in savannas of tropical America
title Managing the grazing resource for animal production in savannas of tropical America
title_full Managing the grazing resource for animal production in savannas of tropical America
title_fullStr Managing the grazing resource for animal production in savannas of tropical America
title_full_unstemmed Managing the grazing resource for animal production in savannas of tropical America
title_short Managing the grazing resource for animal production in savannas of tropical America
title_sort managing the grazing resource for animal production in savannas of tropical america
topic andropogon gayanus
stylosanthes capitata
centrosema acutifolium
brachiaria dictyoneura
brachiaria decumbens
brachiaria humidicola
brachiaria brizantha
arachis pintoi
variedades
praderas
manejo de praderas
praderas naturales
producción animal
aumentos de peso
suplementos alimentarios
sistemas agropastoriles
sabanas
llanos orientales
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/43649
work_keys_str_mv AT lascanoaguilarcarloseduardo managingthegrazingresourceforanimalproductioninsavannasoftropicalamerica