Sustentabilidad socio-productiva de los recursos forrajeros en el Valle de El Manso.

Abstract

Forage resources are of great importance for livestock production and the ecosystem in which they are embedded, due to their relevance in providing feed for livestock, considering both its quality and quantity. Thus, the quality, composition, and productivity of these resources depend on various factors, one of the most important being the management applied. Some studies suggest that, in the region, forage management directly influences socio-productive sustainability, encompassing environmental, economic, and cultural aspects. Therefore, it is possible to analyze it from the perspective of forage management and balance (supply and demand). Regarding forage supply, there is significant heterogeneity, including natural grasslands, mono- or poly-specific pasture crops, reserves, and green forages, among others. Forage demand can be calculated in energy terms and reflects the animals’ needs to perform their biological and physio-productive functions. In this study, forage balance was used as a strategic tool for the agroecological management of livestock production, as it provides a diagnosis of the sustainability of the available resources. This study focused on data from forage production representing each of the different sectors: Manso Inferior, Manso Medio, and El Foyel. To analyze socio-productive sustainability in the management of forage resources in the El Manso Valley, several objectives were pursued. First, the available information on forage production in the El Manso Valley was systematized. Second, the socio-productive information of producers involved in forage production was updated and classified according to a previous typology. Finally, forage management was surveyed and compared in selected production units within the watersheds that make up the El Manso Valley, based on the determination of the annual forage balance. The main results and conclusions of this work include: the existence of information gaps from an integral agroecological perspective; changes over time in the structure and production strategy of the types and subtypes of producers; persistence of issues such as weed invasion and informal sales; the need to apply forage balance and implement new management strategies; significant variations in forage productivity between and within areas; and the sustainability of forage resources is affected by a series of interrelated factors.