UNIDAD DE COMPETENCIA 1: INTRODUCCIÓN A LA INVESTIGACIÓN, TEMAS 1.1 Y 1.4

SÓLO VISIÓN PROYECTABLE

Cattle production under grazing with improved forages in the lowland tropics of Colombia

* Increase in global population and changes in people’s lifestyles and diets generate high demand for animal protein sources. * Cattle production systems in Colombia are mostly extensive and inefficient. * The International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) works on sustainable intensification (SI) of livestock systems through improving their efficiency and productivity while mitigating negative environmental effects (e.g. deforestation, greenhouse gas emissions). * SI of livestock systems can be achieved through selection and breeding and subsequent adoption of improved forages, which can either be used as stand-alone technology or be part of a (e.g. silvopastoral) system. * Silvopastoral systems (SPS) have shown excellent results in terms of higher biomass production, higher animal stocking rates, better nutritional quality and positive environmental effects

Iniciativas de mitigación al cambio climático en sistemas de producción de carne bovina en países tropicales

La producción ganadera se basa principalmente en el uso de sistemas extensivos de pastoreo, el cual es un sistema ineficiente que genera niveles bajos de rentabilidad y por ende altas emisiones por unidad de producto. La ganadería de carne a nivel mundial, es el Sistema de producción que mayores emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero genera por unidad de producto. Los asocios gramínea-leguminosa forrajeras pueden generar una reducción significativa sobre las emisiones de metano (CH4) provenientes de parches de estiércol y sobre las emisiones de CH4 entérico. La implementación de sistemas silvopastoriles al igual que la restauración de pasturas degradadas y la inclusión de pasturas mejoradas, surgen como mecanismos promisorios de reducción de emisiones (acciones nacionales de mitigación) para la ganadería de carne en Colombia

Soil macrofauna as indicators of soil quality in improved (silvo) pastoral systems in the tropics

Silvopastoral systems are environmentally and economically beneficial alternative to cattle pastures formed by single grass species. The incorporation of trees, especially legumes, in pastures has several positive effects on soil properties and nutrient cycling while creating more favorable microclimate for the animals and increasing productivity. Soil macrofauna, the key element in soil food web regulating ecosystem services, has a direct effect on soil aeration and water movement due to the system of burrows and galleries, and on soil organic matter fragmentation. The legumes or legume-trees inclusion in the pastures will lead to improved nutrient cycling and increased biological activity resulting in increased accumulation of organic matter and improved soil physical properties within the silvopastoral system

Integral assessment of productive and environmental parameters of a forage-based silvopastoral system

Diversification of pastures and the incorporation of key plant functional groups (legumes) generally improve nutrient cycling and often lead to increased carbon sequestration in the soil. Furthermore, the inclusion of trees in the pastures improve soil properties while creating a microclimate more suitable for cattle, as well as for soil biological activity. Improved pastures with environmental benefits alongside with good management have vast potential to support region and country-level strategies to address relevant challenges related to the livestock sector in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) (Rao et al, 2015). The LivestockPlus project seeks to apply the concept of sustainable intensification of livestock systems in two countries of the LAC region such as Costa Rica and Colombia, to provide technical support, generate critical information and guidelines necessary for identifying options while contributing to planning and policies for scaling up of NAMAs

Validación del modelo Ruminant a través de mediciones de campo y laboratorio para obtener estimaciones precisas de emisiones de metano entérico bajo condiciones tropicales como soporte a las NDC Colombianas

El modelo Ruminant simula el proceso digestivo y metabólico a partir de la cantidad y la calidad de los alimentos consumidos por los bovinos. La validación contribuirá a mejorar la precisión del modelo para predecir emisiones en las futuras comunicaciones y como metodología MRV, que los estándares de mitigación de cambio climático demandan y así cumplir con los estrictos procesos que plantea el IPCC