Pasture performance and sustainability in the Peruvian Amazon: Results of long-term on-farm research

Over the past decade there have been significant shifts in both the theory and methods of agricultural development. One of the most significant theoretical shifts has been the explicit incorporation of ecological criteria in agricultural research under the rubric of ‘sustainability’. Methodologically there has been widespread acceptance of farmer participatory research strategies or ‘on-farm research.’ This paper reports on the results of on-farm research with livestock carried out in the Peruvian Amazon from 1987–1992. The project was designed with several goals including (a) improving our understanding of farming systems in the region, (b) testing the agronomic potential of improved forages under on-farm conditions, (c) measuring the effects of improved forages on animal production and (d) assessing the ecological effects of cattle raising in the humid tropics. The paper presents results of the on-farm research, including information on pasture establishment, persistence, productivity and sustainability of grazing practices in this ecosystem. These results highlight the contribution of on-farm research to improving the productivity and sustainability of pastures in the humid tropics.