Search

In Cuba, due to soil degradation, integrated management is required to enhance their productive capacity in benefit of man and achieve sustainable development and the necessary food security. This situation demands that the professionals, technicians and people responsible for livestock production increase their knowledge related to the management and conservation of this resource, so that with their work balance can be achieved in the soil-plant-animal system, which allows improving the environment, achieving more ecological productions, and attaining higher economic and social benefits for the country. In this paper some results are shown generated in different scientific institutions regarding the use of adequate technologies of soil fertility management in agricultural and livestock production ecosystems, as well as the experiences of their introduction in productive practice in order to contribute to sustainable development and food security in Cuba. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Litter constitutes the main way of entrance of nutrients in the soil and is one of the key points for recycling organic matter and nutrients. Several authors have studied in detail the dynamics of the decomposition of the litter of ligneous plants, in temperate as well as Mediterranean climates. Nevertheless, there are few studies about the decomposition dynamics of litter in pasturelands, in spite of its importance in the primary and secondary production, especially in systems in which the available nutrients for the vegetation are scarce, as in pastureland ecosystems. That is why in this work such processes are approached, as well as the effect of climate, vegetation, soil and decomposing fauna, as main factors that determine the process of litter decomposition in pasturelands. In addition, the most relevant results related to the use of silvopastoral systems as viable alternative to achieve ecological and productive sustainability of tropical pasturelands are offered, with higher emphasis on the role these systems play in nutrient recycling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study was carried out at the Experimental Station of Pastures and Forages "Indio Hatuey", Matanzas, with the objective of determining the litter decomposition of Panicum maximum and its relationship to some of the biotic and abiotic factors. The litter decomposition was determined as the loss of biomass in time, with regards to the initial weight. For the study of the decomposition dynamics the method of litter bags was used. The bags measured 10 x 10 x 10 cm, with pores of 1 cm diameter, which allows access inside of a wide range of the edaphic biota. Forty bags that contained litter of P. maximum were distributed randomly. In each bag 20 g of previously collected litter (dry base) were put. The results showed that the decomposition process of P. maximum litter was slow, because 210 days after being deposited the litter still showed 45,3% of its initial weight, with a higher decomposition rate in the first 30 days. In the remnant material of the process of litter decomposition, the N-NDF concentration increased. The taxonomic composition of the fauna associated to the decomposition process was constituted by three phyla, five classes, eight orders, seven genera and seven determined species. The presence of a diverse and stable fauna associated to the bags influenced the process of litter decomposition. The species Venezillo sp., Nagarus sp. and Pycnocelus surinamensis were the ones with higher presence during the whole process. The mathematical model that shows the effect of temperature, relative humidity and rainfall, showed the best adjustment in the process of litter decomposition in this pastureland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study was carried out at the Experimental Station of Pastures and Forages "Indio Hatuey", Matanzas, with the objective of determining the litter decomposition of Panicum maximum and its relationship to some of the biotic and abiotic factors. The litter decomposition was determined as the loss of biomass in time, with regards to the initial weight. For the study of the decomposition dynamics the method of litter bags was used. The bags measured 10 x 10 x 10 cm, with pores of 1 cm diameter, which allows access inside of a wide range of the edaphic biota. Forty bags that contained litter of P. maximum were distributed randomly. In each bag 20 g of previously collected litter (dry base) were put. The results showed that the decomposition process of P. maximum litter was slow, because 210 days after being deposited the litter still showed 45,3% of its initial weight, with a higher decomposition rate in the first 30 days. In the remnant material of the process of litter decomposition, the N-NDF concentration increased. The taxonomic composition of the fauna associated to the decomposition process was constituted by three phyla, five classes, eight orders, seven genera and seven determined species. The presence of a diverse and stable fauna associated to the bags influenced the process of litter decomposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study was carried out at the Experimental Station of Pastures and Forages "Indio Hatuey", Matanzas, Cuba, with the objective of determining the litter accumulation in a pastureland of Panicum maximum Jacq cv. Likoni and in a silvopastoral system of Panicum maximum and Leucaena leucocephala (Lam) de Wit cv. Cunningham. In the P. maximum pasturelands of both systems the litter accumulation was determined by means of the technique proposed by Bruce and Ebershon (1982), while the litter of L. leucocephala accumulated in the silvopastoral system was determined according to Santa Regina et al. (1997). In general, the results showed that in both pasturelands the Guinea grass accumulated a lower quantity of litter during the June- December period, stage in which its highest vegetative development occurs. In leucaena, the highest litter production occurred in the December-January period, associated to the natural fall of its leaves that is produced due to the effect of the lower temperatures and the scarce moisture in the soil. In the silvopastoral system the leucaena litter represented the highest percentage of weight within the total production, with a higher nitrogen and calcium content than the litter of the herbaceous stratum. In the Guinea grass the rainfall was the climatic factor that showed higher negative correlation with the litter production in both systems, and in leucaena the highest negative correlation was found with the lowest temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study was carried out at the Experimental Station of Pastures and Forages "Indio Hatuey", Matanzas, Cuba, with the objective of determining the litter accumulation in a pastureland of Panicum maximum Jacq cv . Likoni and in a silvopastoral system of Panicum maximum and Leucaena leucocephala (Lam) de Wit cv. Cunningham. In the P. ma x imum pasturelands of both systems the litter accumulation was determined by means of the technique proposed by Bruce and Ebershon (1982), while the litter of L. leucocephala accumulated in the silvopastoral system was determined according to Santa Regina et al. (1997). In general, the results showed that in both pasturelands the Guinea grass accumulated a lower quantity of litter during the June-December period, stage in which its highest vegetative development occurs. In leucaena, the highest litter production occurred in the December-January period, associated to the natural fall of its leaves that is produced due to the effect of the lower temperatures and the scarce moisture in the soil. In the silvopastoral system the leucaena litter represented the highest percentage of weight within the total production, with a higher nitrogen and calcium content than the litter of the herbaceous stratum. In the Guinea grass the rainfall was the climatic factor that showed higher negative correlation with the litter production in both systems, and in leucaena the highest negative correlation was found with the lowest temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the objective of determining the litter decomposition in a silvopastoral system of Panicum maximum and Leucaena leucocephala and its relationship to some climate factors, this trial was conducted at the EEPF "Indio Hatuey". Litter decomposition was determined as the loss of biomass through time, with regards to initial weight. For studying the decomposition dynamics the method of litter bags was used; the performance of mean temperature, relative humidity, rainfall and days with rain, was daily recorded at the meteorological station located 1 km away from the experimental area. . The correlation and regression analysis was used to learn the interrelation between the variables and the best adjustment models. The studied climatic factors were considered independent variables, and the lost biomass percentage was considered a dependent variable. In general, the results showed that the performance of litter decomposition, in Guinea grass as well as leucaena, was related to the climatic factors that prevailed during the experimental period and, thus, it is possible to explain this process in both pasturelands from the joint action of temperature, relative humidity and rainfall. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil is an essential resource for life, which allows the development of plants, animals and men. However, all the functions it performs are not acknowledged yet, for which the general concept of fertile soil rather refers to its chemical properties, specifically to the availability of primary macroelements (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium). In recent years new definitions have been proposed integrating the physical, chemical and biological properties of soils, as well as their capacity of being sustainable, producing healthy food and mitigating environmental pollution. However, there are no universal criteria yet to evaluate the changes in soil quality, and for such purpose indicators are used, sensitive to management and the edaphoclimatic conditions, among other characteristics, which allow appraising its status. This paper intends, in general, to contribute to the knowledge of the new conception of soil quality, from its functions; define the biological, physical and chemical indicators and the relation among them; as well as to describe some studies which have been conducted in Cuba about the topic of quality indicators, as a tool for decision-making in management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The changes occurred in Cuban agriculture at the end of the 20th century caused the rupture of the paradigm based on import dependence, for which it became necessary to begin building a new technical-economic model based on endogenous development, associated to the promotion of innovative capacities and sustainable technologies; this demanded that knowledge-development centers focused on the application of innovations, through adequate rural extension processes. In this sense, the Experimental Station "Indio Hatuey" focused the efforts on the promotion of innovation processes in Cuban livestock production, which were enhanced at the beginning of the first decade of this millennium, when a turn occurred in the conventional technology transference system to promote innovation and rural local development. Outstanding examples of the application of this approach are: the Livestock Production Development Program in the Mart' municipality, the enhancement of the processes of local agricultural innovation and of promotion of local innovation systems in the cooperative and farmer sector of Matanzas province, as well as the integrated food and energy production on agroecological bases in five Cuban provinces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The work was carried out in a livestock production area located in the Perico municipality, Matanzas province, Cuba, with the objective of contributing to improve the socioeconomic and environmental indicators of this area. A participatory diagnosis with vision of future was carried out in which the present situation of the ecosystem and the vision desired within the next ten years were evaluated; by means of novel tools the reception of information was facilitated with the help of participatory workshops, the use of dynamics, group work and semi-structured interviews. The methodology used stimulated the participation of workers, reflection and commitment. The results showed that there is degradation of the ecosystem due to overexploitation of the soils because of the lack of paddocks and overgrazing, which is demonstrated by the low quality of this resource. It was found that there is not a rational and equitable use of natural resources which allows their conservation and restoration, shown by low productive levels. The design and implementation of a management model focused on the agroecology that guarantees the sustainable development of this area are recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]