The use of nutritional blocks as a tool for grazing management in extensive sheep husbandry

The improvement in grazing spatial distribution is an important goal for the efficient and sustainable management of rangelands. However, extensive livestock systems such as the Patagonian rangelands generally fails due to the large paddock size (up to 6000 ha). The purpose of this study was to eval...

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Main Authors: Ormaechea, Sebastián Gabriel, Cipriotti, Pablo Ariel, Distel, Roberto Alejandro, Peri, Pablo Luis
Format: info:ar-repo/semantics/artículo
Language:Inglés
Published: Asociación Argentina de Ecología 2021
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/10235
http://ojs.ecologiaaustral.com.ar/index.php/Ecologia_Austral/article/view/1499
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author Ormaechea, Sebastián Gabriel
Cipriotti, Pablo Ariel
Distel, Roberto Alejandro
Peri, Pablo Luis
author_browse Cipriotti, Pablo Ariel
Distel, Roberto Alejandro
Ormaechea, Sebastián Gabriel
Peri, Pablo Luis
author_facet Ormaechea, Sebastián Gabriel
Cipriotti, Pablo Ariel
Distel, Roberto Alejandro
Peri, Pablo Luis
author_sort Ormaechea, Sebastián Gabriel
collection INTA Digital
description The improvement in grazing spatial distribution is an important goal for the efficient and sustainable management of rangelands. However, extensive livestock systems such as the Patagonian rangelands generally fails due to the large paddock size (up to 6000 ha). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the strategic use of nutritional blocks as an atractive element in underused areas of the landscape, in a shrub steppe of low cover (less than 50%) under dry climate. The spatial distribution of sheep was evaluated in two extensive paddocks (1900 and 5500 ha) under two sequential treatments (With nutritional blocks and Traditional management without nutritional blocks) in two years. The study was carried out using wethers of the Corriedale breed, with an average stocking rate of 0.17±0.03 sheep/ha. The geotracking of wethers was obtained by means of collars equipped with global positioning system technology, configured with a measuring frequency of 5 minutes within an average period of 15 days. The use of nutritional blocks resulted in a 46.1-57.4% expansion in the daily home range with respect to the traditional management, suggesting a more spatial homogeneous use of the paddocks by sheep. These results would have important practical implications, considering that the use of nutritional blocks would allow the combination of supplementation strategies with the sustainable use of pastoral resources.
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institution Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA -Argentina)
language Inglés
publishDate 2021
publishDateRange 2021
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spelling INTA102352021-09-13T13:45:11Z The use of nutritional blocks as a tool for grazing management in extensive sheep husbandry El uso de bloques nutricionales como herramienta para el manejo del pastoreo en sistemas ovinos extensivos. Ormaechea, Sebastián Gabriel Cipriotti, Pablo Ariel Distel, Roberto Alejandro Peri, Pablo Luis Extensive Land Use Management Grazing Intensity Landscape Conservation Livestock Extensive Husbandry Pastures Sheep Steppes Sustainable Use Supplements Uso Extensivo de la Tierra Manejo Intensidad de Pastoreo Conservación del Paisaje Ganado Ganadería Extensiva Pastizales Ovinos Estepas Uso Sustentable Suplementos Región Patagónica Manejo Extensivo Extensive Management The improvement in grazing spatial distribution is an important goal for the efficient and sustainable management of rangelands. However, extensive livestock systems such as the Patagonian rangelands generally fails due to the large paddock size (up to 6000 ha). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the strategic use of nutritional blocks as an atractive element in underused areas of the landscape, in a shrub steppe of low cover (less than 50%) under dry climate. The spatial distribution of sheep was evaluated in two extensive paddocks (1900 and 5500 ha) under two sequential treatments (With nutritional blocks and Traditional management without nutritional blocks) in two years. The study was carried out using wethers of the Corriedale breed, with an average stocking rate of 0.17±0.03 sheep/ha. The geotracking of wethers was obtained by means of collars equipped with global positioning system technology, configured with a measuring frequency of 5 minutes within an average period of 15 days. The use of nutritional blocks resulted in a 46.1-57.4% expansion in the daily home range with respect to the traditional management, suggesting a more spatial homogeneous use of the paddocks by sheep. These results would have important practical implications, considering that the use of nutritional blocks would allow the combination of supplementation strategies with the sustainable use of pastoral resources. El uso de bloques nutricionales como herramienta para el manejo del pastoreo en sistemas ovinos extensivos. Mejorar la distribución espacial del pastoreo es importante para lograr el objetivo de un uso eficiente y sustentable de los pastizales naturales. Sin embargo, los sistemas ganaderos extensivos como los que se utilizan en pastizales de la Patagonia generalmente fallan debido a la gran extensión de los cuadros de pastoreo (hasta 6000 ha). El objetivo del presente estudio fue evaluar la efectividad del uso estratégico de bloques nutricionales como elementos atractivos en áreas subutilizadas del paisaje; específicamente, en una estepa arbustiva de baja cobertura (menos de 50%), bajo un clima árido. La distribución espacial de ovinos fue evaluada en dos cuadros de pastoreo extensivo (1900 y 5500 ha) a través de dos tratamientos secuenciales (Con bloques nutricionales y Manejo tradicional sin bloques nutricionales), en dos años. Para el estudio se emplearon capones (carneros castrados) de la raza Corriedale, bajo una carga animal promedio de 0.17±0.03 ovinos/ha. La geolocalización de los capones se obtuvo mediante collares equipados con sistemas de posicionamiento global, configurados con una frecuencia de medición de 5 minutos en un período de 15 días. El uso de bloques nutricionales resultó en una expansión de 46.1-57.4% del área diaria de campeo con respecto al manejo tradicional, lo que sugiere que los ovinos hicieron un uso espacial más homogéneo de los cuadros. Estos resultados podrían tener importantes implicancias prácticas, considerando que utilizar bloques nutricionales permitiría combinar estrategias de suplementación con el uso sustentable de los recursos pastoriles. EEA Santa Cruz Fil: Ormaechea, Sebastián Gabriel. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Manfredi; Argentina. Fil: Cipriotti, Pablo Ariel. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Agronomía. Departamento de Métodos Cuantitativos y Sistemas de Información; Argentina. Fil: Cipriotti, Pablo Ariel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Fil: Distel, Roberto Alejandro. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Agronomía; Argentina Fil: Peri, Pablo Luis. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Santa Cruz; Argentina. Fil: Peri, Pablo Luis. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia Austral; Argentina. Fil: Peri, Pablo Luis. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. 2021-09-13T13:30:50Z 2021-09-13T13:30:50Z 2021-09-05 info:ar-repo/semantics/artículo info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/10235 http://ojs.ecologiaaustral.com.ar/index.php/Ecologia_Austral/article/view/1499 Ormaechea S.; Cipriotti P.A.; Distel R.A.; Peri P.L. (2021) The use of nutritional blocks as a tool for grazing management in extensive sheep husbandry. Ecología Austral 31: 546-557. 0327-5477 (en línea) 1667-782X (español) 1667-7838 (ingles) eng info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/ Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) application/pdf Asociación Argentina de Ecología Ecología Austral 31 (3) : 546-557. (Diciembre 2021)
spellingShingle Extensive Land Use
Management
Grazing Intensity
Landscape Conservation
Livestock
Extensive Husbandry
Pastures
Sheep
Steppes
Sustainable Use
Supplements
Uso Extensivo de la Tierra
Manejo
Intensidad de Pastoreo
Conservación del Paisaje
Ganado
Ganadería Extensiva
Pastizales
Ovinos
Estepas
Uso Sustentable
Suplementos
Región Patagónica
Manejo Extensivo
Extensive Management
Ormaechea, Sebastián Gabriel
Cipriotti, Pablo Ariel
Distel, Roberto Alejandro
Peri, Pablo Luis
The use of nutritional blocks as a tool for grazing management in extensive sheep husbandry
title The use of nutritional blocks as a tool for grazing management in extensive sheep husbandry
title_full The use of nutritional blocks as a tool for grazing management in extensive sheep husbandry
title_fullStr The use of nutritional blocks as a tool for grazing management in extensive sheep husbandry
title_full_unstemmed The use of nutritional blocks as a tool for grazing management in extensive sheep husbandry
title_short The use of nutritional blocks as a tool for grazing management in extensive sheep husbandry
title_sort use of nutritional blocks as a tool for grazing management in extensive sheep husbandry
topic Extensive Land Use
Management
Grazing Intensity
Landscape Conservation
Livestock
Extensive Husbandry
Pastures
Sheep
Steppes
Sustainable Use
Supplements
Uso Extensivo de la Tierra
Manejo
Intensidad de Pastoreo
Conservación del Paisaje
Ganado
Ganadería Extensiva
Pastizales
Ovinos
Estepas
Uso Sustentable
Suplementos
Región Patagónica
Manejo Extensivo
Extensive Management
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/10235
http://ojs.ecologiaaustral.com.ar/index.php/Ecologia_Austral/article/view/1499
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