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

Sorghum Corpoica JJT-18 silage production as a business model in Colombia

Climate variability phenomena such as intense droughts greatly affect the cattle sector in the Colombian Orinoquía region. One strategy for solving this problem is silage. Silage production as a business model is an economically and financially viable practice, thus allowing cattle and forage producers to obtain additional income. Sorghum Corpoica JJT-18 is a promising variety for cattle feed in the Orinoquía region since its agronomic performance and high quality are superior to those of the crops commonly used for animal feeding in the region