EDUARDO G. CANUDAS-LARA, Ph.D.Professor of Veterinary Medicine and

Animal Science Faculty

University of Veracruz, Mexico

GRAZING MANAGEMENT FOR A SUSTAINABLE ANIMAL PRODUCTION IN THE TROPICS

INTRODUCTION

Tropical Grasses (C4) = High Growth Potential

Intensive Grazing Management works (grazing laws)

Farm Administration: an essential aspects

1. Plan: clear goals (animal and forage production, sustainable, profitable,…

2. Organization: identify, group, and assign ranch activities,…

3. Direction: leadership, communication, motivation,…

4. Control: Intensive Grazing System gives more control.

Conserve soil properties by efficient nutrient cycling (sustainability).

Achieve profitability by increasing productivity and reducing cost.

Reduce forest conversion to pasture land by increasing land productivity (animal).

Become competitive in quality and price.

OBJECTIVES

PLANT:ANIMAL SYSTEMSOIL:PLANT:ANIMAL SYSTEM

GrazingManagement

ForageProduction

AnimalProduction

PastureBiomass

ForageConsumed

+

+

+

Income+

-

-

+

B

B

R

+

R

PLANT:ANIMAL SYSTEM

CP

Stocking Rate

Animal Weight

Improved specie/cultivar

Digestibility

NDF, ADF, Lig.

SOIL:PLANT:ANIMAL SYSTEM

Irrigation, fertilization,...

Tramping, treading

GrazingManagement

-

"Feedcomplement"

ForageProduction

AnimalProduction

PastureBiomass

ForageConsumed

+

+

+

Income+

+ +

-

+

?

+

Exogenous factors

?

growth

+

Voluntary intake

+

+ +-

-

-

+

B

B

R

+

R

Decay/old

-

PLANT:ANIMAL SYSTEM

CP

Stocking Rate

Animal Weight

Improved specie/cultivar

Digestibility

NDF, ADF, Lig.

SOIL:PLANT:ANIMAL SYSTEM

Micro-climate(temp., humidity,...)

Pollution

Irrigation, fertilization,...

Tramping, treading

GrazingManagement

-

"Feedcomplement"

ForageProduction

AnimalProduction

PastureBiomass

ForageConsumed

+

+

+

Income+

+ +

-

+

?

+

Exogenous factors

?

growth+

Voluntary intake

+

+ +-

-

-

+

B

B

R

+

R

Decay/old

-

Urine

FecesMinerals

+

+

+Decomposition

+

+

+

Welldistributed

Baddistributed

+

R

How?

How solar energy is utilized?

How forage is produced? (soil, minerals, water,..)

How animal intake is controlled? (quality, quantity,...)

How the environment is preserved? (nutrient cycling, erosion,

insecticides, herbicides,...)

RATIONAL MANAGEMENT

The common sense is the least common of the senses…

N P K S Mg Ca

+ micros

CO2

O2

C6H12O6

Sugar, starch,...

O.M.

How Solar Energy is utilized?

C H O

GE DE MEMaintenance

ProductionFeces Urine,methane

N P K S Mg Ca

micros

500 kg/ha/año of N125 kg/ha/año of P2O5

500 kg/ha/año of K2O

C H OI

II

III

N P K S Mg Ca

micros

Days

Prod

ucti

on

250 an./ha

50 an./0.2 ha =

40 m2/an/d

250 cows/ha/day = 50-10-40Murphy, 1981

How much minerals does the plant extracts from the soil?

Pasture Utilization Efficiency

Uti

liza

tion

(%

)

Instant stocking rate (an./ha/day)

2 50 100

20 -

50 -

80 -

LAWS of theRational Intensive Grazing System

1o Adequate development

3o Leave some leaves

2o One day grazing

4o Have some reserves :

Sugar cane SilageHay

Concentrated

MATERIAL AND METHOD

LOCATION: Medellin, Ver., Mexico WEATHER: Tropical Sub-humid RAINFALL: 1,700 mm (90% from July to October.) TEMPERATURE: 25º C (mean annual)

Rational Intensive Grazing SystemDeworming, vaccinate, vitamins, implants, tick control,…Weight: individually approximately every 45 days.

Chopped + urea

+ concentrated (16% CP)

ANIMAL MANAGEMENT

Aerial picture of “El Principio Ranch” 9.2 ha of taiwan grass (22.7 acres)

1.5 ha sugarcane (3.7 acres)

Close up of some paddocks of“El Principio Ranch”

(paddocks size = 2000 m2 or 0.5 acres)

Grazing

Pasture Divisions (paddocks)

2,000 m2

each

2 ½”

4”

2”

Plant Production Parameters taiwan grass under RIGS with fertirrigation

3466DM Intake, %

792752Gwowth rate, DM kg/ha/d

2.90.92.0DM Intake, % AU of BW

13.14.28.9DM Intake, AU/kg/day

28.89.819.0Production, DM t/ha/year

TotalStemLeafParameter

Average of 13 cuts from October of 1997 to June of 1999.

3.6BIOMASA DE HOJ AS

-0.501.00

1.502.002.503.00

3.504.00

FECHA DE MUESTREO

BIO

MA

SA

(t/ha) M

SAntes del pastoreo Después del Pastoreo

BIOMASA DE TALLOS

-

1.00

2.00

3.00

4.00

5.00

6.00

7.00

FECHA DE MUESTREO

BIO

MA

SA

(t/ha) M

S

Antes del Pastoreo Después del Pastoreo

Animal Production Variables with Concentrated

Supplementation form January to July with 2 kg DM/day of chopped sugarcane with 3% urea and the whole year with 1.14% of their body weight with a concentrated with 16% CP.

Hectares (n) 9.2

Cattle groups (number/year) 3

Fattening period (d) 376

Cattle raised (produced) per year (n) 193

Average initial weight (kg/animal) 240

Average final weight (kg/animal) 374

Stocking rate (AU/ha) (animals/ha) 4.8 7.0

Average daily gain (kg) 1.09

Meat production (kg/ha/year) 2,766

Taiwan with fertirrigation

Feed complement form January to July with 2 kg DM/day of chopped sugarcane with 3% urea, and the whole year with 1.14% of their body weight with a concentrated with 16% CP.

animals/haAU/ha 7.0

Beef production (kg/ha/year)

Average daily gain (kg)

Stocking rate

Average final weight (kg/animal)

Average initial weight (kg/animal)

Cattle raised (produced) per year (n)

Fattening period (d/group)

Cattle groups (number/year)

Hectares (n)

2,766

1.09

4.8

374

240

193

125

3

9.2

Taiwan with fertirrigation

Animal Production Variables with Concentrated

Profit/Loss StatementUS Dollars

NET PROFIT

Profit sharing to workers

OPERATING PROFIT

Other Expenses

Financial Expenses

Sales Expenses

Administrative Expenses

GROSS PROFIT

Production Cost

Total Sales

PARAMETER

$12,354

$650

$13,004

$0

$4,797

$26

$1,007

$18,834

$75,062

$93,895

TAIWAN

Supplementation form January to July with 2 kg DM/day of chopped sugarcane with 3% urea and the year 2000 with 1.14% of their body weight with a concentrated with 16% CP.

NUMBERSNUMBERS

INFORMATIONINFORMATION

(analyze, interpret, compare, take (analyze, interpret, compare, take decisions,…)decisions,…)

FINANCIAL RATIOS

$1,300Net profit per hectare, US$/year

25Profit over investment (reval), %/year

13.1Profit margin, %

0.48Net profit of meat, US$/kg

0.90Total cost of meat, US$/kg

65Total assets productivity, %

0.35Break-even point, kg/animals/day

2.40Break-even point, animals/ha

TAIWAN GRASS

PARAMETER

Supplementation form January to July with 2 kg DM/day of chopped sugarcane with 3% urea and the year 2000 with 1.14% of their body weight with a concentrated with 16% CP.

Rational Intensive Grazing System has demonstrated to be sustainable by recycling nutrient and maintaining production throughout the years.

The system had proof to be profitable and be competitive with high productivity per hectare, quality, and price in the domestic and international markets.

On a macroeconomic environment, the extensive use of this system may reduce the forest conversion to pasture land.

Finally, human population can be fed economically and environmental sustainable.

CONCLUSIONS

Thanks…