Pastures associated with shrubs

The inclusion of pasture and shrub associations in foraged areas are known as silvopastoral systems worldwide are a practice that combines livestock farming with tree planting and pasture management, with the aim of promoting sustainability and the conservation of natural resources. These systems have become an efficient alternative to improve agricultural productivity and reduce environmental impact. At the global level, silvopastoral systems have been implemented in various countries, adapting to the climatic and socio-economic conditions of each region.

These systems have been shown to help mitigate soil erosion, conserve water, capture carbon and improve biodiversity. In addition, they allow to diversify the income of producers by taking advantage of forest products and generating environmental services. In our country Venezuela, specifically in the State Zulia, initiatives have been implemented to promote silvopastoral systems, the Zulia is a region with an important livestock activity, and the adoption can improve the quality of the soil, increase the production of fodder and reduce the pressure on natural resources.

These associated systems, although they are not new, have had an emphasis in recent years due to different factors; according to Pezo and Ibrahim (1996), it is a livestock production option that involves the presence of perennial woody plants (trees or shrubs), and they interact with the traditional components (forage, herbaceous and animals), all of them under an integral management system. Among the advantages of these systems is the reduction of feed costs, reducing environmental damage, providing shade by decreasing heat stress, it is a cultivation system that does not degrade soil fertility, these are considerations that must be taken into account in livestock ecosystems..

There is a diversity of trees or shrubs that we can include within livestock and / or livestock systems in order to obtain these advantages of the silvopastoral system. In the tropics, trees such as Leucaena, Ceiba, Acacia, Glyciridia, among others, are taken into account for this use. The use, or the choice of which one will be used, will depend on the convenience for the farmer. If with the diversification of the system you want to obtain shade, fruits, wood, nitrogen fixation, etc; a certain tree species will be selected according to the proposed objectives.

These systems require various agronomic management, among which we have: Selective pruning, rotation of paddocks, the sowing of fodder and the placement of trees or shrubs in a strategic way, carrying out an integrated management of pests and diseases, organic fertilization tasks, making use of internal resources such as pruning waste and animal manure, and of course, constant monitoring of the system, which allows evaluating results and making prudent modifications if necessary.

With the implementation of this system, an important point to touch arises, nitrogen fixation, it is mediated by bacteria of the genus Rhizobium and Bradyrhizobium in symbiotic association with legumes. The objective of this association leads to the uptake of atmospheric nitrogen by the plant thanks to the presence of the aforementioned bacteria, while these benefit from the structural carbohydrates in the roots of the plants. The absorption of nitrogen favors the growth of plant material, increasing the productive yield and justifying, once again, the implementation of the association of legumes and grasses, promoting biodiversity and silvopastoral systems.

Dear readers, silvopastoral systems worldwide represent a promising alternative for sustainable livestock farming and the conservation of natural resources. These practices allow generating economic, environmental and social benefits, contributing to a more balanced and resilient agricultural and livestock development.