Project:
Alternative forage cultivations for areas with recurrent drought periods
in Northwest Mexico
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This research project is a fundamental part of the
strategic line “Agrotechnology and Energetic Resources” of the Program of
Agriculture in Dry Land Areas.
This scientific proposal is integrally in line with
the fields of agriculture and livestock sciences. It deals with aspects of
basic research in agriculture and livestock; in the first place, to generate
basic knowledge in both areas and in the future to propose criteria that will
allow the solution to the main technological problems that feeding confronts at
national, regional, and local level. These problems are directly related to
scarce food for cattle, same which in general depends on the abundance of
grazing or parched land that has currently diminished due to recurrent drought
in countries all over the world.
In this sense, there is
a clear conscience that in the next years, it will be necessary to improve
productivity of livestock production systems by increasing the amount of forage
and improving grazing or parched land; generating a closer link between
agriculture and livestock production (sustainable ranches), as well as improving
supply and quality of additional forage; carefully choosing and introducing
forage species as leguminosae, gramineae, and grass to increase grazing density
in natural parched land; increasing their productivity by means of adequate
agronomical practices, genetic improvement, and selecting characteristics
(physiological, biochemical, and so forth) under different biotic and/or
abiotic conditions.
Taiwan grass
has a high raw protein content of non-fibrous carbohydrates and low fiber
content in neutral detergent, which makes it an ideal grass of good nutritional
and energetic quality compared to other grasses.
Salt grass in North America
is considered characteristic of plains and low lands with elevated content in
humidity and moderate salinity. The in depth development of the radical system of
this species determines its capacity to regulate stress due to summer drought
and spring flooding, which would imply an advantage over the other grass
species.
Cowpea bean can be used for both human and animal
food, and it can also be used integrally. The leaves can be eaten as vegetable,
while the stalk and leaves can be used as forage. Besides, it is a species
which is tolerant to drought and moderately tolerant to salinity. | |
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Written by Dr. Bernardo Murillo Amador
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Last Updated on Tuesday, 06 April 2010 13:50 |
Agriculture in Dry Land Areas 
