23.07.2013 Views

Feeding Systems with Legumes to Intensify Dairy Farms - cgiar

Feeding Systems with Legumes to Intensify Dairy Farms - cgiar

Feeding Systems with Legumes to Intensify Dairy Farms - cgiar

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

The Need for Forage Technologies in the<br />

Al<strong>to</strong> Mayo Region of the Peruvian Amazon<br />

Sam Fujisaka 1 , Deysi Lara 2 , Keneth Reategui 1 , Julio Montenegro 3 , Robinson<br />

Ventura 3 , Miguel Diaz 4 , Rober<strong>to</strong> Diaz 4 , and Douglas White 1<br />

CIAT (1), FUNDAAM (2), CTAR (3), and MAG-Peru (4)<br />

Researchers from the Fundación del Al<strong>to</strong> Mayo (FUNDAAM), the<br />

Ministry of Agriculture (MAG) of Peru, the Consejo Transi<strong>to</strong>rio Agropecuario<br />

Regional (CTAR), and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT)<br />

conducted a diagnostic field survey <strong>to</strong> evaluate feeding systems for dualpurpose<br />

cattle in the Al<strong>to</strong> Mayo Region, Department of San Martin, in the<br />

Peruvian Amazon.<br />

The study was carried out in four communities (Nuevo Cajamarca,<br />

Sori<strong>to</strong>r, Habana, and Rioja), where farmers owned, on average, some 25-30<br />

head of cattle, <strong>with</strong> 4 <strong>to</strong> 10 cows being milked at any given time throughout<br />

the year. Farm size ranged between 25 and 33 ha, of which 16-18 ha were<br />

sown <strong>to</strong> pastures. The most common species was Brachiaria decumbens,<br />

followed by B. brizantha. The milk produced in the region is mainly<br />

marketed through a processing plant that sells milk <strong>to</strong> the government for a<br />

social project providing milk <strong>to</strong> schoolchildren.<br />

The invasion of weeds and wet-season trampling, which caused soil<br />

compaction, were the most frequent pasture management problems.<br />

Lives<strong>to</strong>ck was affected by parasites and diseases. In addition <strong>to</strong> lives<strong>to</strong>ck<br />

production, the farmers also depend on subsistence crops such as irrigated<br />

rice and coffee.<br />

The survey indicated that the lack of improved forages was a constraint<br />

<strong>to</strong> enhanced herd productivity in the region. In the four communities<br />

surveyed, several farmers had established cut-and-carry forages, mainly<br />

elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum) and king grass (Pennisetum sp.).<br />

These farmers had also installed improved milking and feeding stalls and<br />

infrastructure for animal feeding. Because of the low prices paid for raw<br />

milk, many producers allocated the milk produced <strong>to</strong> late-weaned calves<br />

rather than <strong>to</strong> market.<br />

Materials and Methods<br />

The study area was located in the piedmont region of the Peruvian<br />

Amazon region, at 1,000 masl. Average annual precipitation was 1,380 mm,<br />

108

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!