Intensification of Agricultural Systems and their Relation to Production and Efficiency. Results of Application

Agriculture is facing new challenges, on one hand is the need to increase food production; on the other, a more efficient use of natural resources, biofuels and production of raw materials. Both make agriculture a priority to industrial progress, which have determined new changes in the way intensification processes are implemented to meet the sector´s demands without causing land overuse. This review evaluates the bases for intensification of agricultural systems and their relation to production and efficiency. Additionally, the results from implementation of the Cuban experience are presented. In that context, the current intensification trends were defined, and other different criteria in terms of sustainability were explained. It was concluded that there are different criteria, trends or priorities regarding agriculture intensification; therefore, more than confrontation, conciliation must prevail. The strategy must be directed to an application based on each sector´s particulars, taking sustainability as the common principle of production

Pastureland Management, and Influence on the Economic Response of Breeding Herds

The influence of the main pastureland components on the economic response of breeding herds at the Rescate de Sanguily Company was studied from January 2012 to December 2014. Six breeding farms from Ricardo Flores Farm were chosen in the municipality of Jimaguayú, province of Camagüey, Cuba. Variables of pastureland, and forage resources in general were used. To determine the main components that led to variability of breeding units, a Principal Component Analysis was performed; components with values above the unit were selected. Stocking rates variables over 0.60 were chosen too. The elements related with pastureland management in breeding units were defined (forage area with native and cultivated grass), which explain the more than 40 % variance in all the units under the study. Forage balance is negative in the units, as a result of poor agro technical management of grasslands; however, the expensesincome ratio is positive (between CUP $2 500 and$17 600), caused by the low feeding costs. Activities and resources linked to pasture and forage agro techniques must be prioritized, along with the completion of forage areas

Intensificación de los sistemas agropecuarios y su relación con la productividad y eficiencia. Resultados con su aplicación. Artículo de Revisión.

El sector agrario se encuentra ante nuevos desafíos; por una parte, está la necesidad de incrementar la producción de alimentos y por otra se añaden el uso más eficiente de los recursos naturales, la producción de biocombustibles y materias primas, aspectos que convierten a la agricultura en prioritaria para el desarrollo industrial. Esto ha determinado cambios en el modo de implementar los procesos de intensificación, de manera que se cumpla con las priorid a-des del sector, sin una sobreexplotación de la tierra. En la reseña se valoran las bases para la intensificación de los sistemas agropecuarios y su relación con la productividad y la eficiencia, así como se exponen resultados con su implementación, considerando la experiencia cubana. En este contexto, se definen las tendencias actuales de la intensi-ficación y se exponen además diferentes criterios en relación a su sostenibilidad. Se concluye que coexisten diferentes criterios, tendencias o prioridades para la intensificación de la agricultura, por lo tanto, más que una confrontación, debe regir una conciliación, donde la estrategia debe estar encaminada a su aplicación en correspondencia con las características particulares de cada sector, respetando la sostenibilidad como principio común de producción.Intensification of Agricultural Systems and their Relation to Production and Efficiency. Application Results. Review article.ABSTRACTAgriculture is facing new challenges; on one hand is the need to increase food production, and on the other, a more efficient use of natural resources, biofuel and raw material production. Both  make agriculture a priority to industrial progress; it has determined new changes in the way intensification processes   are implemented to meet the sector´s demands, without causing land overuse. This review makes land assessment for intensification of agricultural sys-tems and their relation to production and efficiency. Additionally, the results from implementation base d on the Cuban experience, are revealed. In that context, the current intensification trends were defined, and other different criteria in terms of  sustainability were explained. It was concluded that there are different criteria, trends or priorities regarding agriculture intensification; therefore, more than confrontation, conciliation must prevail. The strategy must be directed to application based on the specifics of each sector, regarding  sustainability as the common principle of production

Manejo del pastizal y su influencia en la respuesta económica de rebaños de cría.

Se estudió la influencia de los principales componentes del manejo del pastizal en la respuesta económica de rebaños de cría de la Empresa Genética Rescate de Sanguily, desde enero de 2012 a diciembre de 2014. Se seleccionaron seis unidades de cría de la granja  Ricardo Flores, perteneciente a esta empresa, ubicada en el Municipio de Jima-guayú, provincia Camagüey, Cuba. Se tomaron variables sobre la situación de los pastizales y los recursos forrajeros en general y para determinar los componentes fundamentales que determinan la variabilidad de las unidades de cría. Se utilizó el análisis de  componentes principales, seleccionando aquellos componentes que presentaban un autovalor superior a la unidad y dentro de cada componente principal aquellas variables con cargas superiores a 0,60; se pudo definir que entre los elementos del manejo de los pastizales en unidades de cría, destacan el área de forraje, de pastos cultivados y pastos naturales, que explican más del 40% de la varianza entre las unidades del estudio. El balance forrajero en las entidades es negativo, como resultado de la pobre atención agrotécnica a los pastiza les; aún así, la relación gastos-ingresos es positiva, con ganancias brutas que oscilan entre 2 500 y 17 600 CUP, lo que obedece a los bajos costos por concepto de alimentación. Se requiere priorizar las actividades y recursos relacionados con la agrotécnia de los pastos y forrajes, así como el completamiento de áreas de forrajes.Pastureland Management and Influence on the Economic Response of Breeding Herds.ABSTRACTThe influence of the main pastureland components on the economic response of breeding herds at the  Rescate de Sanguily Enterprise was studied, from January 2012 to December 2014. Six breeding units from  Ricardo Flores unit were chosen, in the municipality of  Jimaguayú, province of Camagüey, Cuba. Variables of pastureland, and forage resources in general were used. To determine the main components that led to variability of breeding units, a Prin-cipal Component Analysis was performed;  components with values above the unit were selected. Stocking rates va-riables,  over 0.60, were chosen too.  The elements related with pastureland management in  breeding units were de-fined (forage area with native and cultivated grass), which explain the more than 40  % variance in all the units under the study. Forage balance is negative in the units, as a result of poor agrotechnical management of grasslands; however, the expenses-income ratio is positive (between CUP $2 500 and$17 600), caused by the low feeding costs. Activities and resources linked to pasture and forage agrotechniques must be prioritized, along with the completion of forage areas