• Thematic area:
• Integrated management of the productive system
• Productive system:
• Bovine meat
• Geographic coverage:

• Flat highland and the Piedemonte Llanero area

Description

This system was generated for the climate and soil conditions of the Altillanura (flat highlands) and Piedemonte llanero (foothills) areas. It includes the establishment of agrosilvopastoral systems with plant species adapted to the agro-ecological conditions of the region, such as maize/corn hybrids, rainfed rice varieties, and grasses with high forage production potential, such as Toledo grass, Mulato II grass, Mombasa grass, Massai grass, and Llanero grass. These can be associated with forage legumes such as kudzu and maquenque. The forest species recommended for these systems are native to the region, such as yopo, canafistol, simarua, and the introduced samán and eucalyptus pellita.

By implementing the recommendations described in this technological offer, producers perceive improvements such as:

• Increases in productivity of livestock systems on farms in the Colombian Orinoquia. Compared to conventional establishment, the cost of establishing 1 ha of pasture is reduced by up to 100 % (depending on the price of maize/corn grain in the market at the time of harvest).
• Corn and soybean silage constitutes a viable solution for feeding cattle in the dry season. It achieves weight gain during this season when animals have traditionally lost weight. These good results are due to the silage quality in crude protein provided by soybeans, which has improved between 12 and 13 %, compared to the protein of maize/corn silage, which is 7%. The low production cost of this forage supplement contributes to the development of more profitable livestock farming.
• Doubles the load capacity and increases the weight gain per animal from 300 to 700 grams/animal per day.
• Increases meat productivity from 120 to 550 kg/ha per year and obtains animals for slaughter under 2.5 years of age.
• The cost of establishing or recovering grasslands under these recommendations contributes to a reduction between 40 and 80 % and an increase in the income obtained through agricultural crop harvest.
• The integration of tree species in the region's livestock systems contributes to animal well-being and increased biodiversity in the system.

Associated publications

• Book chapter: Establecimiento y manejo de la asociación maíz – pastos para la producción de carne bovina [Establishment and management of the maize/corn-pasture association for beef production]. 
• Book chapter: Uso de los cultivos como estrategia de alimentación de bovinos durante la época seca [Use of crops as a feeding strategy for bovines during the dry season].
• Book chapter: Sistemas agropastoriles y sus efectos en las propiedades químicas y físicas de los suelos [Agropastoral systems and their effects on the chemical and physical properties of soils]. 
• Book chapter: Bancos de proteína arborizados en sistemas agrosilvopastoriles  [Arborized protein banks in agrosilvopastoral systems]. 
• Book: Asociación maíz pastos para establecimiento y renovación de praderas en los llanos orientales [Maize/corn pasture association for the establishment and renovation of pastures in the Llanos Orientales area].
• Scientific article: Crecimiento del maíz y los pastos (Brachiaria sp.) establecidos en monocultivo y asociados en suelos ácidos del Piedemonte llanero colombiano [Growth of maize/corn and grasses (Brachiaria sp.) established in monoculture and associated in acid soils of the Colombian Piedemonte Llanero area].
• Scientific article: Productividad de la asociación maíz - pastos en suelos ácidos del Piedemonte llanero colombiano [Productivity of the maize-grass association in acid soils of the Colombian Piedemonte llanero area].
• Scientific article: Producción de maíz en una pradera asociada de Brachiaria decumbens con maní forrajero [Maize/corn production in an associated meadow of Brachiaria decumbens with Pinto peanut].  
• Scientific article: Relación entre el nitrógeno foliar y el contenido de clorofila, en maíz asociado con pastos en el Piedemonte Llanero colombiano [Relationship between foliar nitrogen and chlorophyll content in maize/corn associated with pastures in the Colombian Piedemonte Llanero area]. 

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