Botany krishna series 2nd semester Only Mcq type questions
Revista pastos y forrajes vol41n3 2018
1. Vol. 41, No. 3, July-September 2018 / NRS 0099
ISSN 0864-0394 (printed version) / ISSN 2078-8452 (online version)
Quarterly journal. Official organ of the Ministry of Higher Education for pastures and forages | 1978
MISSION: to disseminate research results,
development of technologies and innovation,
related to the farming sector.
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for national and foreign researchers, professors
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tion, farming entrepreneurs, organizations that
promote rural development, decision-makers
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papers, review papers, short communications,
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flections) which contribute to the knowledge of
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TOPICS
• Introduction, evaluation and dissemination of
plant genetic resources related to the farming
sector.
• Agroecological management of production
systems.
• Sustainable livestock production.
• Conservation of forages and agroindustrial
byproducts for animal feeding.
• Agroforestry for animal and agricultural
production.
• Integrated food and energy production
systems in rural areas.
• Utilization of alternative medicine in tropical
farming systems.
• Adaptation to and mitigation of the climate
change in farming ecosystems.
• Economic, managerial and social aspects of
farming production.
• Extension, agricultural innovation and
technology transference.
• Rural and local development.
ESTACIÓN EXPERIMENTAL DE PASTOS Y FORRAJES INDIO HATUEY
EDITORIAL COUNCIL
Editor-in-Chief | Dra. Tania Sánchez Santana
Assistant Editor | M.Sc. Nayda Armengol López
Editor-Agricultural Sciences | Dra. Marta Hernández Chávez
Editor-Veterinary Sciences | Dr. Javier Arece García
EDITORIAL COMMITTEE
Dr.C. Jesús Suárez Hernández | Dra.C. Maybe Campos Gómez
Dra.C. Marlen Navarro Boulandier | Dra.C. Maykelis Díaz Solares
Dr.C. Jesús M. Iglesias Gómez | Dr.C. Hilda B. Wencomo Cárdenas
Dr.C. Anesio R. Mesa Sardiñas | Dr.C. Luis A. Hernández Olivera
Dra.C. Hilda C. Machado Martínez | Dr.C. Osmel Alonso Amaro
Dr.C. Giraldo J. Martín Martín | Dra.C. Odalys C. Toral Pérez
Dr.C. Luis Lamela López | M.Sc. Onel López Vigoa
Dra.C. Mildrey Soca Pérez | M.Sc. Milagros de la C. Milera Rodríguez
Dr.C. Félix Ojeda García | M.Sc. Yolai Noda Leyva
Dr.C. Gertrudis Pentón Fernández | M.Sc. Juan C. Lezcano Fleires
SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE
Dra. Sonia Jardines González | Universidad de Matanzas, Cuba
Dra. Angela Borroto Pérez | UNIVERSIDAD DE CIEGO DE ÁVILA, Cuba
Dr. Aníbal E. Fernández Mayer | Instituto Nacional de Tecnología
Agropecuaria, Argentina
Dr. Argemiro Sanavria | Universidad Federal Rural de Rio de Janeiro, Brasil
Dr. Tyrone J. Clavero Cepeda | Universidad de Zulia, Venezuela
Dr. José M. Palma García | Universidad de Colima, México
Dr. Oscar Romero Cruz | Universidad de Granma, Cuba
Dr. Carlos J. Bécquer Granados | Estación Experimental de Pastos y Forrajes
de Sancti SpÍritus, Cuba
Dr. Rodobaldo Ortíz Pérez | Instituto NACIONAL de Ciencias agrícolas, CUBA
Dr. Pedro C. Martín Méndez | Instituto de Ciencia Animal, Cuba
Dr. Pedro P. del Pozo Rodríguez | Universidad Agraria de La Habana, Cuba
Dr. Redimio Pedraza Olivera | Universidad de Camagüey, Cuba
Dr. Rafael S. Herrera García | Instituto de Ciencia Animal, Cuba
Dr. Pedro José González Cañizares | Instituto Nacional de ciencias agrícolas, CUBA
Dr. Ángel Arturo Santana Pérez | Universidad de Granma, Cuba
SUPPORT COMMITTEE
Editing and correction
M.Sc. Alicia Ojeda González
Design and editing
Dailys Rubido González
Miresleidys Rodríguez Rizo
Translation
B.A. Nidia Amador Domínguez
Cover design
B.A. Israel de Jesús Zaldívar Pedroso
3. Pastos y Forrajes, Vol. 41, No. 3, July-September, 149-157, 2018 / Economic appraisal of the environment 149
Economic appraisal of the environment and its application in the Cuban
animal husbandry sector
Nadia Báez-Quiñones
Instituto de Ciencia Animal, Apartado postal 24, San José de las Lajas, Mayabeque, Cuba
E-mail: nadia@ica.co.cu
Abstract
The objective of this paper is to present the environmental economic appraisal methods and their application
in the Cuban animal husbandry sector. For such purpose the Total Economic Value theory is taken as reference, and
the most widely used methods and techniques are identified according to the adopted concept of value. A group of
studies about the application of the environmental economic in Cuba is reviewed, and four cases of interest in the
animal husbandry sector are analyzed. The topic of the application of the environmental economic appraisal in the
animal husbandry sector is not very frequent in scientific literature. This is only limited to determining the main
environmental functions and the magnitude of their impact, but their economic value is not taken into consideration.
It is concluded that the Total Economic Value theory is one of the most widely used for the economic appraisal of the
environment. In addition, there are diverse highly useful techniques for economically appraising the environmental
impact of animal husbandry in Cuba.
Keywords: animal husbandry, environmental impact, economic viability
Review paper
Introduction
Some of the main environmental problems that
exist in Cuba are: soil degradation and deforesta-
tion; loss of biodiversity; contamination; as well
as the deficiencies and difficulties regarding manage-
ment, water availability and quality, and their im-
pacts on climate change (CITMA, 2016). These
problems have incidence on the agricultural sector
and are often caused by it; in which the excessive
exploitation of animal husbandry systems plays an
important role.
Animal production significantly contributes
to the emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG). The
main emission sources in the sector are enteric
fermentation, manure management and deposit of
feces and urine in the pasturelands (Wilkes et al.,
2017).
In most cases, the environmental problems, or
the benefits generated by ecosystems, are not con-
sidered in economic accountancy systems (Biondi,
2016). This constitutes one of the main causes of
the increasing overexploitation and deterioration of
natural resources (Miranda et al., 2007).
For such reason, Miranda (2002) stated that,
when a new technology is going to be incorporated,
the costs that, at long term, can be generated by
the environmental deterioration caused by the
assimilation of a new technology, should be taken
into consideration, and not only the investment
costs and their recovery period.
In recent years, in Cuba there has been pro-
gressive advance in the economic appraisal of
the environment, mainly in protected areas and
in the tourism and forestry sectors (Machín and
Hernández, 2009; Hernández, 2011; Rodríguez et
al., 2011; Domínguez-Junco et al., 2012; Labrada,
2013; Poey and García 2013; Zequeira et al., 2013;
Rodríguez-Córdova et al., 2017). This proves the
need and importance of the use of economic ap-
praisal, so that it allows the practice of effective and
economically efficient policies for the sustainable
management of species and ecosystems (Machín
and Casas, 2006).
The objective of this paper is to present the en-
vironmental economic appraisal methods and their
application in the Cuban animal husbandry sector.
Economic appraisal of the environment and
Total Economic Value (TEV)
The relation between growth and environment
has gained great strength for economics researchers
in recent years, mainly because of the increasing
degradation of natural resources –which accompa-
nies the increase of production at world scale– and
to the need of quantifying the elements that com-
pose ecosystems (Figueroa, 2013).
4. 150 Pastos y Forrajes, Vol. 41, No. 3, July-September, 149-157, 2018 / Nadia Báez-Quiñones
Although some natural resources have a price
in the market, it does not contemplate, in most cases,
the wide variety of functions that add a higher
economic value, generally disesteemed when
making decisions related to their management.
This value lies on the fact that natural resources
and the environment fulfill at least four functions,
positively perceived by society (Rangel et al., 2013).
They are:
• they are part of the function of production of a
large quantity of economic goods and services;
• they perform environmental functions, whose
services are demanded by society;
• they act as receptors of diverse types of residues
and wastes;
• they constitute an integrated system that provi-
des the elemental means to sustain all kinds of
life.
The environmental economic appraisal consti-
tutes an important tool for the adequate definition
of the instruments of environmental policy. It can
be defined as a set of techniques and methods which
allow to measure the expectations of benefits and
costs derived from actions, such as the use of an
environmental asset, the performance of an envi-
ronmental improvement or the generation of envi-
ronmental damage (Azqueta, 1994).
In the last decades, the environmental appraisal
methodologies have had a broad development in the
measurement of those aspects that were previous-
ly classified as intangible and which at present can
be measured in monetary terms (Hernández et al.,
2013).
The economic value of environmental goods
and services is a very controversial topic in
literature. Cerda (2003) states that it is important to
emphasize that neither «the environment» nor «the
life» are being appraised, as many people assume,
but that the preference of people in the face of
changes in the conditions of the environment and
with regards to changes in the risks they face are
appraised. In this sense, Hernández et al. (2010)
suggested that economists should appreciate the
value of ecosystems far beyond their contribution
in raw materials and tangible products. From these
ideas, the Total Economic Value (TEV) theory is
proposed, which has been used by such authors
as Ferro et al. (2016) and Almeida et al. (2018),
as the approach to be taken into consideration for
determining the economic value of an ecosystem.
The TEV approach states that any good or
service is composed by several attributes, some of
which are tangible and easily measurable, while
others can be more difficult to quantify. However,
the total value is the sum of all these components
and not only of those that can be easily measured.
The limits and terminology for the TEV components
slightly vary between one specialist and the other,
but it generally includes value of use and value of
non-use (Dixon and Pagiola, 1998). Besides, each
one can be subdivided into additional categories
(table 1).
The value of use is formed by the value of direct
use, which refers to the resource that is obtained
by the development of certain activity; the value
of indirect use, including those benefits that are
derived from the functioning of ecosystems; and
the value of choice, which refers to the possibility
of using, or not, the environmental resource in the
future. On the other hand, the value of non-use is
subdivided into legacy value and existence value.
The former refers to the possibility that the resource
be consumed by future generations, and the latter,
to the knowledge of the existence of a certain
environmental asset; which, although due to moral
conviction, seems valuable (Ferro et al., 2016).
Table 1. Categories of the economic value ascribable to natural resources.
Value of use Value of non-use
Direct use Indirect use Choice value Legacy value Existence value
Directly consumable
values
Benefits derived
from ecosystem
functions
Future direct
and indirect
values
Value of the resources
for future generations
Value of knowing
that there still is an
environment component
Milk, meat, biomass,
recreation, health
Control of: climate,
soils, nutrient
recycling
Bioprospection,
conservation of
habitats
Conservation of
habitats in the face of
irreversible changes
Habitat, species, genes,
ecosystems
Source: modified from Pearce and Morán (1994).
5. Pastos y Forrajes, Vol. 41, No. 3, July-September, 149-157, 2018 / economic appraisal of the environment 151
Summarizing, the TeV theory is one of the
most used in scientific literature, because it allows
to appraise the environmental goods and services
taking into consideration the highest possible quan-
tity of the values they have. Thus, a monetary value
is assigned to such resources, which, in spite of not
being their real value, offers the possibility of in-
cluding them in the accountancy systems at the dif-
ferent levels. Nevertheless, it is criticized by some
experts due to its subjective character, because the
assignation of values depends, to a large extent, on
the specialist’s point of view.
Most utilized methods and techniques for the
economic appraisal of the environment
environmental appraisal techniques intend to
obtain the willingness to pay for a positive change
in an environmental good or the willingness to
accept a compensation for a negative change. The
environmental economy is focused on two basic
areas: the field of appraisal (impact and environ-
mental cost studies), for which it uses a series of
instruments and methodologies such as benefit/
cost studies, contingent appraisal and disposition to
pay, among others; and the field of environmental
policy and management, in which it proposes di-
verse instruments of environmental fiscal policy,
constitution of secondary markets, environmental
policies and management (Raffo, 2015). It should
be clarified that this review adopts the position of
environmental economy, emphasis is not made on
the precepts of ecological economy1
.
The different values that are assigned to en-
vironmental goods and services can be excluding,
alternate or competitive, for which it is not always
possible to consider that the total economic value
associated with an environmental good or service
is the simple sum of the different values of use and
non-use (Leal, 2005). In this regard, there are di-
verse appraisal methods and techniques, which are
classified according to the concept of value that is
adopted or the level of availability of the required
information. The most common classifications
in literature are: methods of declared preferences
or revealed preferences (Maldonado and Cuervo,
2016); and direct or indirect methods (Pardo and
Sanjinés, 2014). The most utilized techniques ac-
cording to the concept of value are shown in figure 1,
and are explained below.
1
It considers economy as a subsystem of the ecosphere, and assumes that mankind and its economy must be subject to the limits
imposed by the biophysical restrictions set by ecosystems, source of the goods and services that feed them (Goodland and Daly, 1996).
6. 152 Pastos y Forrajes, Vol. 41, No. 3, July-September, 149-157, 2018 / Nadia Báez-Quiñones
• Direct market values or available market prices.
This technique is used in economies where there
are well defined markets, in which the practice
is followed of assigning a monetary value to
the biological resource in question, under the
assumption that such price reasonably describes
the value it has, being understood that such
concept goes beyond being only value of use
(Guillén et al., 2007).
• Method of opportunity costs. It is used when
there are two or more choices of use of the
environmental area. The opportunity cost of
utilizing resources, in a certain way, is the most
highly valued alternative in which these resources
could have been invested and to which the society
would have to renounce when the resources
are used in another specific way (Zequeira et
al., 2016). For example, the decision of using a
vegetative area to start agricultural production
against the alternative of opening a national
park; if opening the park is chosen, the economic
appraisal is given by the market prices when
weighing the agricultural losses by their price.
• Method of the changes in productivity. This me-
thod attempts to estimate economically the envi-
ronmental impact on a natural resource, through
the appraisal of the effect this impact generates
on production, the cost or the profits genera-
ted by the other good which does have market.
Such effect on the production of another good
or service implies a change in people’s welfare.
Through the appraisal of such change in welfare
an approximation of the value of that environ-
mental impact is obtained. An example of the
application of the method can be the case of
water quality and agricultural production. If the
water quality decreases due to contamination,
there will be a decrease in yields, which would
be translated into higher production costs and,
thus, a higher price of the product. This ultima-
tely affects people, who will have to pay a higher
price for the product, and thus its usefulness de-
creases (MINAM, 2015).
• Method of replacement costs. The replacement cost
technique is based on the measurement of the costs
that are incurred by replacing productive assets
damaged by the disturbance of natural resources
and ecosystem processes. For example, the cost
of acid deposition related to air contamination
in urban areas could be approached through the
cost of replacement or restoration of the damaged
infrastructure (Murillo and González, 2017).
• Method of hedonic prices. The environmental
quality affects the price people are willing to
pay for certain goods or services. The method
is based on the fact that many of the prices ob-
served for the goods are prices for a set of at-
tributes. This approach estimates the welfare
derived from the environmental characteristics
that influence directly the market prices of a spe-
cific good. The most used variants are based on
the price of properties and on the salaries (Díaz,
2017).
• Travel cost method (TCM). It is based on the
costs that are incurred by the visitor to a place
to enjoy the recreation ecosystemic services pro-
vided by a certain site. For example, in the case
of natural parks, people enjoy the natural areas,
but, to do that, they need to consume some pri-
vate goods to travel to the site, and it is on those
private expenses this method is based in order to
determine an approximation to the value of the
natural resource (Tomio and Ullrich, 2015).
• Method of avoided costs (MAC). It estimates
the costs which are incurred to prevent the
damage caused by environmental degradation.
This technique examines the expenses in order
to determine the importance people assign to
the impacts on the environment and health.
The fundamental premise is that an individual
perception of the cost imposed by damage is
related to what the person pays to prevent it from
occurring (Ripka de Almeida et al., 2018).
• Method of contingent appraisal or of construc-
ted markets. The method consists in the design
of a hypothetic market, presented to the indivi-
dual through a questionnaire, which is later used
to simulate several markets in which values are
assigned to the resources. The intention is to
know the preferences of society on environmen-
tal quality, and how much it will be willing to
pay for not being deprived of the benefits of ha-
ving such resources (Pérez-Torres, 2016).
• Model of economic evaluation of the eco-friend-
ly productive activity. This model uses three
fundamental criteria to define a practice or pro-
duct as eco-friendly (Barzev et al., 2013). They
are: 1) competitiveness: it is the technology used
in each economic alternative; 2) environmen-
tal measures: it is the quantification of negative
impacts (translated into costs) and the measu-
res proposed to mitigate them, thus generating
social benefits; and 3) economic viability: it is
the application of the costs-benefits technique to
7. Pastos y Forrajes, Vol. 41, No. 3, July-September, 149-157, 2018 / Economic appraisal of the environment 153
compare costs versus benefits of the economic
activity (including environmental costs and be-
nefits).
The environmental measures in the model
represent the different costs that are incurred to
prevent negative impacts on the environment.
In addition, the additional incomes or profits
generated by adopting those mitigation measures
of the negative impacts, are quantified.
The methods and techniques that are used
in literature vary from one author to the other,
and their election depends fundamentally on the
pursued objective. It is very common to find several
techniquesappliedinthesameresearch,whichallows
to appraise each of the environmental functions of
the goods and services of the area under study.
Application in the Cuban animal husbandry
sector
In the Cuban animal husbandry activity, the
field of the instruments of environmental policy
and management is very limited because there is
not a clearly defined economic-environmental
policy in which compensation systems are used for
good practices, such as payments for environmental
services, and there is not a market of carbon
certificates either. These compensation systems
have been applied in several countries of America
by such authors as Murgueitio et al. (2013), Zapata
et al. (2015), Artunduaga and Escobar (2016),
with very good results in the achievement of the
sustainable management of the activity.
There are several studies in the field of environ-
mental economic appraisal which have been con-
ducted in Cuba in recent years (table 2). Among the
reviewed papers the ones that have as study object
the territories and protected areas stand out. In the
first case are the reports and doctoral and master
of science theses which were elaborated within the
framework of the UNDP/GEF Sabana-Camagüey
Project. They were focused on several ecosystems
of the zone, where the studies were aimed at ap-
praising in economic terms the natural resources
of national parks, mangroves and basins, which in
most cases are dedicated to tourism development.
In the case of the animal husbandry sector,
four cases of interest were found in the last years
in which the economic appraisal of the environ-
mental impact was applied. This does not mean
that they are the only ones, because in several of
the cited works (Rangel et al., 2013; Ferro et al.,
2016; Zequeira et al., 2016) the function of animal
husbandry as one of the values of direct use in the
studied systems was evaluated, although this sector
was not the protagonist (table 2).
The study conducted by Miranda et al. (2007)
was focused on the economic appraisal of the car-
bon sequestered in a farm with natural pasture and
another one converted in a silvopastoral system
(SPS), with 11 years of exploitation. The estimated
amount of stored carbon per hectare in the systems
was approximately valued in 1 590 dollars (USD).
From this amount, 80 % was contributed by the
SPS, which surpassed the natural pasture, and the
Table 2. Studies of environmental economic appraisal conducted in Cuba, by sector.
Sector Studies Authors
Animal husbandry 4
Miranda et al. (2007, 2008); De la Cruz et al. (2013); Manzano et al. (2013);
Valdés et al. (2013)
Mining 1 Reynaldo and Guardado (2017)
Tourism 4
Figueredo et al. (2013); Gutiérrez and Soulary (2013); Labrada (2013); Zequeira et
al. (2013)
Protected areas 5
Machín and Hernández (2009); Hernández (2011); Villarreal and Unger (2012);
Delgado (2013); Rodríguez et al. (2017)
Forestry 3 Rodríguez et al. (2011); Domínguez-Junco et al. (2012); Poey and García (2013)
Basins 3 Rangel et al. (2013); Ferro et al. (2016); Zequeira et al. (2016)
Fishery 2 Bucarano et al. (2013); Betanzos-Vega et al. (2014)
Entrepreneurial 1 Cañizares-Roig and Martín-García (2016)
Territorial 8 PNUD (2007) UNDP/GEF Sabana-Camagüey Project
Source: elaborated by the author.
8. 154 Pastos y Forrajes, Vol. 41, No. 3, July-September, 149-157, 2018 / Nadia Báez-Quiñones
high economic contribution of the system with trees
was proven. For its estimation the direct method of
market prices was used, and the carbon mass held
was multiplied by its price in the market of carbon
certificates.
Miranda et al. (2008) completed the study with
the economic appraisal of how much the biodiversity
function represented in animal husbandry
ecosystems. For such purpose the technique of
avoided costs due to weed control, assigned to
that environmental service, was used. In both
study cases it was concluded that the estimation of
environmental benefits, along with the economic
incomes by way of milk production, constitutes a
valorization of animal husbandry ecosystems.
De la Cruz et al. (2013) evaluated the imple-
mentation of the management plan of the buffalo
stock with biodiversity conservation techniques.
For such purpose two dairy farms with sustainable
management and two with traditional management
were compared. In spite of the costs of the dairy
farms with sustainable management being higher,
because they internalized the environmental costs
(reforestation of the area for the utilization of liv-
ing fences, protection against fires, maintenance of
channels and dams, among others), in them high
positive impacts were generated (decrease of soil
erosion, utilization of trees for animal feeding and
shade, production of fruit and firewood for sale,
among others). From the economic point of view,
this area showed higher incomes in all the periods.
In the study all the additional incomes which would
be obtained from sustainable management were not
taken into consideration; thus, the positive economic
impacts (externalities) were not really quantified,
although it constitutes an approximation to what
should be done regarding the economic appraisal of
environmental services.
Valdés et al. (2013) studied the economic fea-
sibility of constructing a plant of pig waste treat-
ment with anaerobic digestion technology. For such
purpose, the benefit-cost ratio and the investment
recovery period were determined. In the determi-
nation of the incomes and costs the environmental
aspects were taken into consideration. The savings
by way of diesel substitution and contribution of nu-
trients from the substitution of chemical fertilization
by fertilization with biosolid, were included.
During the bibliographic review, it could be ob-
served that the environmental economic appraisal
in the animal husbandry sector is not very frequent
in Cuba. This is only limited to determining the
main environmental functions and the magnitude
of their impact, but their economic value is not con-
sidered. However, work has been started to be done
in order to determine the economic impact of the
animal husbandry activity on the environment, not
only from the negative point of view, but also from
the large variety of environmental services and
goods that are derived from it.
Conclusions
The Total Economic Value theory is one of
the most used for the economic appraisal of the
environment. In addition, there are diverse highly
useful techniques to appraise economically the
environmental impact of animal husbandry in
Cuba, and their election depends on the objective
pursued by the research. In the same study several
techniques can be used in order to determine the
economic values of each of the environmental
functions identified in the ecosystem.
In recent years, the studies of environmental
economic appraisal have been increased in the
Cuban animal husbandry sector; nevertheless,
they are not sufficient, if the role played by animal
husbandry in the intensification of environmental
problems and the potentialities it has for mitigating
them is taken into consideration.
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Accepted: September 5, 2018
12. 158 Pastos y Forrajes, Vol. 41, No. 3, July-September, 158-163, 2018 / Yuseika Olivera-Castro
Scientific Paper
Selection of accessions of Urochloa brizantha (Hochst. ex A. Rich.) R. D.
Webster for acid soils
Yuseika Olivera-Castro1
, Onel López-Vigoa1
, Pedro Pablo del Pozo-Rodríguez2
, Lisset
Castañeda-Pimienta1
, Agustín Olmedo-Juárez3
, Javier Arece-García1
and Rolando Rojo-Rubio4
1
Estación Experimental de Pastos y Forrajes Indio Hatuey, Universidad de Matanzas, Ministerio de Educación Superior
Central España Republicana, CP 44280, Matanzas, Cuba
2
Universidad Agraria de La Habana Fructuoso Rodríguez, Mayabeque, Cuba
3
Centro Nacional de Investigación Disciplinaria en Parasitología Veterinaria (CENID-PAVET) Jiutepec, Morelos, México
4
Centro Universitario UAEM-Temascaltepec, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México
E-mail: yuseika@ihatuey.cu
Abstract
A collection of 19 Urochloa brizantha accessions was studied, in association with Stylosanthes guianensis
on a soil characterized by acidity, in order to select the best ones for this soil type. The measured and estimated
variables were: vegetative height, availability and non-consumed pasture residue. In addition, leafiness, cover, vigor,
CP content, fiber (NDF and ADF) degradation and IVDMD, were determined. The interpretation of the results was
done through principal component analysis; and for grouping the associations and selecting those that had similar
characteristics, cluster analysis was used. The existence of a high accumulated variability (75,9 %) was detected in
the first four components. When analyzing the agronomic and nutritional value performance, after three years of
exploitation, the formation of six groups was identified; the associations in which the accessions that form group II
were present (CIAT-16335 and CIAT-26646) stood out, reaching the highest values in height, availability and utilization,
as well as high vigor and high CP contents and IVDMD. These associations that included the accessions that belonged to
group II (CIAT-16335 and CIAT-26646) were present showed the best performance, when making an overall analysis of
agronomic and nutritional value variables. It is recommended to study structural and floristic composition variables, as
well as the seed production potential, in order to propose a pre-commercial variety for the agroecosystems with acid soil.
Keywords: height, evaluation, nutritional value
Introduction
In the 1980’s, the species of cultivated pastures
represented approximately 60 % of pasturelands
in the country. Nevertheless, after more than
three decades under exploitation, they barely reach
19 %, and some show a high degree of degradation
(CITMA, 2012).
In addition to this problem, there is a marked
fertility loss in soils dedicated to animal husbandry
(Hernández, 2016), element that constitutes one of
the main causes of the degradation of cultivated
pastures, whose consequence results in a reduction
of plant biomass yield and quality and its direct im-
plication in the decrease of milk and meat produc-
tion (Padilla et al., 2013).
Such aspects force the adoption of strategies
aimed at the application of technologies that in-
clude the introduction and evaluation of species
and/or accessions, which can contribute to the im-
provement of the feeding basis of animal husbandry
zones and which, in turn, allow to reach adequate
production, quality and persistence of pasturelands;
because animal feeding is supported mainly on the
utilization of pastures and forages, as it is one of
the cheapest sources (Verdecia-Acosta et al., 2014).
In many studies it has been proven that the spe-
cies of the Urochloa genus grow on a broad range
of soils, and some of them are recommended spe-
cifically for acid soils, in Cuba as well as in other
tropical zones of America (Silva et al., 2016); in
this type of soil, Urochloa decumbens (Stapf) R. D.
Webster, Urochloa humidicola (Rendle) Morrone
& Zuloaga, Urochloa dictyoneura (Fig. & De Not.)
Veldkamp, and Urochloa brizantha (Hochst. ex A.
Rich.) R. D. Webster, stand out.
Based on the above-described facts, it is essen-
tial to identify the U. brizantha materials that adapt
better to these soils, from their morphophysiologi-
cal and productive characteristics; such accessions
could make a better utilization of nutrients and pro-
vide sufficient biomass, with the required quality,
for the maintenance, production and reproduction
of grazing animals.
Hence the objective of this study was to select
the best accessions of a U. brizantha collection in as-
sociation with Stylosanthes guianensis for acid soils.
13. Pastos y Forrajes, Vol. 41, No. 3, July-September,158-163, 2018 / Selection of accessions of Urochloa brizantha 159
Materials and Methods
Location of the experimental area. The study
was conducted in areas of the Pastures and Forages
Research Station of Cascajal, Santo Domingo mu-
nicipality –Villa Clara province, Cuba–, located at
22º 36’ North latitude and 80º 04’ West longitude,
at 60 m.a.s.l.
Characteristics of the climate. The climate of the
zone is classified as tropical, characteristic of Cuba.
The performance of the climate variables is shown in
table 1; the rainfall volume varied among the years
the study lasted, and only in the first year the rainfall
was higher compared with the other two years.
The maximum, minimum and mean tempera-
ture, relative humidity and light hours showed simi-
lar values among the years.
Soil of the experimental area. The study was
conducted on a distic, petroferric, Ferruginous,
Nodular Gley soil, characterized by acid pH (4,2),
as well as low organic matter content (1,91 %), total
N (0,40 %) and assimilable P (1,90 mg/100 g). re-
garding these characteristics, it can be considered
an acid soil and with low fertility, according to
Hernández-Jiménez et al. (2015).
Experimental procedure
Soil preparation. For the soil preparation the
conventional method was used, consisting in plow-
ing, harrowing, crossing, harrowing and furrowing.
Design and treatments. A randomized block
design was used with three replicas. The plots
measured 23,52 m2
, and were separated by 1,50 m
spaces on both sides.
The treatments were represented by 19 previously
selected U. brizantha accessions: CIAT-16300, CIAT-
16317, CIAT-16809, CIAT-16469, CIAT-16322, CIAT-
16132, CIAT-16128, CIAT-16335, CIAT-1539, CIAT-26290,
CIAT-16332, CIAT-16819, CIAT-16303, CIAT-16334,
CIAT-16448, CIAT-26646, CIAT-16485, CIAT-16197 and
CIAT-26032,inassociationwithS.guianensis.
Planting, sowing and establishment. The grass
was planted by vegetative seed, consisting in por-
tions of tillers formed by five to eight 20-cm long
shoots, approximately. A distance between plants
and between rows of 0,70 m was used, which is
equivalent to a density of 20 000 plants/ha. The
rows as well as the external tillers were separated
from the plot edges by 0,35 m; the depth was 10 cm.
As legume, S. guianensis (Aubl.) Sw. CIAT-184
was used, accession selected in Cuba as commer-
cial variety (MINAG, 2016), which has shown adap-
tation to this soil type (Castañeda-Alvarez et al.,
2016). It was planted by drilling, at a depth of 2 cm
and space between rows of 0,70 m, with density of
1,5 kg of PGS/ha. Its seeds were previously scari-
fied in water at 80 ºC during two minutes.
The planting as well as the seeding were simul-
taneously performed in April, related to the rainfall
occurred in that month. During 45 days after these
activities the space between the plots was manually
weeded twice, and some weak or dead grass plants
were replaced, so that all the treatments were repre-
sented by a similar number of tillers. Throughout
the experimental period neither irrigation nor ferti-
lization was used.
Animals. Homogeneous groups of 29 crossbred
(Creole x Zebu) fattening animals (20,3 LAU) were
used,withanaverageweightof350kgandgoodhealth
status, which had water and mineral salts available 24
h per day in a paddock designed for this purpose. No
energy or protein supplementation was offered.
Management. A simulated grazing system was
used, in which the animals were led to the area
when the treatments reached resting times between
85 and 95 days in the dry season (DS) and between
50 and 60 days in the rainy season (RS). The average
permanence days were 2 and 1 day and the grazing
intensity was 94,4 and 47,2 LAU days/ha for both
seasons, respectively. During the three years of the
study a total of 15 rotations were made, five in each
year, from which two corresponded to the DS and
three to the RS.
Measurements. The “Methodology for the
evaluation of herbaceous species”, proposed by the
Table 1. Climate performance during the research.
Year
Variables
Rainfall (mm)
Temperature (°C)
Relative humidity (%) Light hours
maximum minimum mean
1 1 697,7 31,5 19,5 24,4 78 7,9
2 1 153,5 31,3 19,2 24,3 76 8,0
3 1 262,3 30,2 18,5 23,6 77 7,8
14. 160 Pastos y Forrajes, Vol. 41, No. 3, July-September, 158-163, 2018 / Yuseika Olivera-Castro
Pastures and Forages Research Station Indio Hatuey
(Machado et al., 1997) and approved by the National
Sub-Commission of Pasture and Forage varieties,
was taken as basis.
Agronomic variables. The plant height was
represented by the mean value of this variable in the
four tillers used for the determination of availability
(this was equivalent to a sample size of 8,3 %). For
the leafiness, cover and vigor a walk was made
that included the entire plot; and the value of each
variable was visually calculated, according to the
gradological scale used. The biomass availability
was estimated one day before the animals entered
the area, and the residue of non-consumed pasture,
when the animals left.
The measurements and estimations were made
in all the rotations.
Variables of the nutritional value. The broma-
tological composition was determined through the
proximal chemical analysis. Of each sample the N
content was analyzed by the Kjeldahl method, and the
CP content was estimated (N x 6,25). The fiber (NDF
and ADF) degradation was determined through the
Van Soest method.
The in vitro gas production technique was used
for obtaining the IVDMD and the parameters of the
different phases of this process: fraction b, fraction c
and Lag phase.
The analyses were conducted in the Nutrition
laboratory of the School of Veterinary Medicine of
the Autonomous University of Mexico State, Toluca,
Mexico State.
Statistical analysis. The principal component
analysis (PCA) was used. To identify the compo-
nents that explained the highest variations, those
that had a proper value higher than one were se-
lected; while in order to identify the variables that
influenced the most the variability extracted for
each component it was taken into consideration that
the sum or preponderance factors reached a value
higher than 0,60.
To group the accessions and select those that
had most prominent similar characteristics the
cluster analysis was used; from the results obtained
in the PCA. As grouping criterion the Euclidean
distance was used, and Ward method as form of
ascending hierarchical aggregation (Torres et al.,
2006). The cutting line for forming the groups was
based on the criterion expressed by Núñez-Colín
and Escobedo-López (2011). The statistical package
SPSS version 15®
was used.
Results and Discussion
When performing the PCA (table 2) the exis-
tence of high accumulated variability in the first
Table 2. Results of the PCA and relation among the variables.
Analyzed variables
Principal components
CP1 CP2 CP3 CP4
Vegetative height (cm) -0,46 0,70 0,01 0,40
Vigor (Ve) 0,89 0,05 -0,10 -0,01
Leafiness (Ve) 0,36 0,14 -0,38 0,26
Availability (t DM/ha/rotation) -0,58 0,69 -0,14 0,27
Utilization (%) 0,80 -0,16 0,32 0,13
CP (%) 0,22 -0,01 0,78 0,41
NDF (%) 0,19 0,29 0,02 -0,84
ADF (%) 0,33 0,37 -0,60 -0,10
IVDMD 0,58 0,56 0,23 0,31
Fraction b -0,53 -0,41 0,55 -0,17
Fraction c 0,20 0,65 0,54 -0,34
Lag phase 0,14 -0,70 -0,24 0,32
Proper value 3,0 2,6 1,9 1,5
Variance (%) 25,0 21,9 16,0 12,9
Accumulated (%) 25,0 46,9 63,0 75,9
Underlined values indicate higher contribution.
15. Pastos y Forrajes, Vol. 41, No. 3, July-September,158-163, 2018 / Selection of accessions of Urochloa brizantha 161
four components was noted, based on the variables
included in the study. The variance in CP1 reached
avalueof25,0%,andinCP2,21,9%.InCP1,thevariables
with higher influence on the extracted variance were
vigor and utilization percentage; while in CP2, vege-
tative height, Lag phase, availability and fraction c, all
positively related; Lag phase did it inversely.
Although two elements of the degradability
equation did not show a strong incidence on the prin-
cipal components: IVDMD and fraction b, it is con-
sidered that they should be taken into consideration
due to their importance in the interpretation of
results.
The IVDMD was explained in the CP1-CP2
plane and, thus, linked to agronomic and nutritional
factors: vigor, utilization percentage, vegetative
height, availability, fraction c and Lag phase, all
positively related to that variable except the last one.
These variables, excluding the last, showed a stressed
trend to reaching higher percentages of IVDMD,
aspect that coincides with the expected result when
agronomic and nutritional value variables like these
are jointly analyzed (Tsuzukibashi et al., 2016).
On the other hand, fraction b, with sum or pre-
ponderance values close to 0,60, in CP3, was linked
to factors of the nutritional value, such as CP and
ADF, positively with the former and inversely with
the latter, which is in correspondence with the sig-
nificance of that variable.
The previously described results allow to con-
sider that there was a higher differentiation degree
among the associations with regards to the variables
present in CP1-CP2, and much less for variables
such as CP, ADF and NDF, which only extracted
16,0 and 12,9 % in CP3 and CP4, respectively.
When forming the groups through the cluster
analysis, based on the results of the PCA, the presence
of six different groups was detected. Table 3 shows
the typification of the accessions by groups and
their identification.
Similarity was found among the associations in
groups V and VI for the mean value of the variable
vegetative height, although its values were low-
er than that of groups I, III and IV. However, the
ones that formed group II (CIAT-26646 and CIAT-
16335) exceeded that of the last ones.
Table 3. Typification of the accessions by group and their identification.
Variables
Group I Group II Group III Group IV Group V Group VI
X SD X SD X SD X SD X SD X SD
Height 64,2 7,2 70,1 4,9 67,8 2,3 58,3 3,1 40,2 3,2 46,9 6,1
Vigor 3,0 0,0 4,0 0,0 4,0 0,0 4,0 0,0 4,0 0,0 4,0 0,0
Leafiness 3,4 0,5 4,0 0,0 4,0 0,0 3,7 0,5 3,7 0,5 4,0 0,0
Availability 3,6 0,5 3,8 0,8 3,4 0,2 2,8 0,3 2,3 0,1 2,7 0,0
Utilization 25,3 5,3 64,0 8,1 21,4 13,4 48,4 27,9 57,1 2,3 57,8 8,8
CP 9,9 1,3 11,2 1,7 9,4 1,6 10,4 1,6 10,4 1,8 9,3 1,1
NDF 76,1 1,2 75,3 1,2 75,0 0,9 78,4 2,1 75,8 1,1 77,6 0,7
ADF 41,0 1,2 42,8 0,9 41,1 1,6 40,8 1,4 40,7 0,6 43,7 0,0
IVDMD 50,2 5,0 65,1 2,5 50,4 1,9 54,8 1,1 51,9 0,8 57,2 1,6
Fraction b 163,8 3,6 143,6 5,2 140,7 3,3 153,1 1,7 158,8 8,5 142,7 7,0
Fraction c 0,02 0,0 0,02 0,0 0,02 0,0 0,02 0,0 0,02 0,0 0,02 0,0
Lag phase 1,49 0,5 1,39 1,2 1,1 0,4 0,5 0,1 2,1 0,2 1,8 0,2
Group Quantity of accessions Name of the accessions♦
I 5 CIAT-16300,CIAT-16322,CIAT-16819,CIAT-16332,CIAT-16132
II 2 CIAT-26646, CIAT-16335
III 2 CIAT-16197, CIAT-16809
IV 4 CIAT-16317, CIAT-16334, 1539, CIAT-26290
V 3 CIAT-26032, CIAT-16448, CIAT-16485
VI 3 CIAT-16128, CIAT-16303, CIAT-16469
♦
Associated with S. guianensis
16. 162 Pastos y Forrajes, Vol. 41, No. 3, July-September, 158-163, 2018 / Yuseika Olivera-Castro
Regarding vigor, the accessions that formed
group I (CIAT-16300, CIAT-16322, CIAT-16819,
CIAT-16332, CIAT-16132) showed the worst perfor-
mance with regards to those in the other groups,
which, as average, reached value 4 according to the
scale used.
In the associations that were part of groups IV,
V and VI a relatively similar value was detected for
the variable availability, but lower than that of the
other groups. Among the latter (I, II and III), the
associations integrated by CIAT-26646 and CIAT-
16335 (group II) stood out with the highest value,
aspect that is considered of relevant interest, be-
cause it defines the biomass volume that is available
for animal feeding.
The percentage of utilization by the animals in
the above-mentioned associations was also higher
when compared with the mean of the other groups;
this has marked importance, due to the role this
variable plays in the consumption made by the ani-
mals. This same pattern was found for CP.
The parameters that are obtained when the cal-
culations are made to define the IVDMD values
through the gas production technique constitute an
extremely important tool to estimate the capacity of
degradation of the forages that compose the diet of
ruminants and, also, the factors with higher influence
on it (Vargas-Bayona et al., 2013).
Hence, when analyzing in these associations
the performance of fraction c and the Lag phase,
variables that characterize the forage degradation
rate, it was observed that the values of the former
were similar for all the groups; while the associa-
tions that formed group IV showed the best result
(0,5) for the latter, which means that they showed
the lesser time for the rumen microorganisms to
start the feed degradation.
Ortega-Aguirre et al. (2015) stated that there are
differencesamongtheparametersofthedegradability
equation for fractions b and c among forages of
different species, but not among accessions of the
same species. In this research such performance was
rather shown in fraction b, which showed variability
for the studied associations, according to the PCA.
An outstanding place corresponds to group
II (CIAT-16335 and CIAT-26646), regarding the
performance of the evaluated materials. These
accessions reached the greatest height, high vigor,
the highest values of availability and also in terms of
utilization, as well as high CP contents and IVDMD.
In this last variable similar results have been reported
in the grass Megathyrsus maximus cv. Mombaza
(60,9 %) and a little bit higher in Brachiaria hibrido
cv. Mulato (67,5 %), according to the report by Silva
et al. (2016).
The accession CIAT-26646, in particular, has
stood out in diverse animal husbandry systems.
In that sense, Njarui et al. (2016) referred the
potentialities of this material, which stood out for
its good acceptability, high resistance to pest attack,
good growth, high degree of associability with
legumes of twining or creeping growth habit, as well
as a CP content of 11 %. These and other outstanding
characteristics have allowed such accession to
become one of the most widely used in tropical
regions for cattle production (Caballero, 2014).
In the species U. brizantha there are satisfacto-
ry results regarding their agronomic performance
and nutritional value, such as the ones reported by
Tsuzukibashi et al. (2016), who found, depending
on the cutting age, different values of the nutrition-
al variables (up to 68 and 30 % for NDF and ADF,
respectively; and between 8,8 and 18,6 % of CP)
when studying cvs. Marandú. Piatã and Xaraés;
this confirms that this species has cultivars with ac-
ceptable quality for livestock feeding.
It is concluded that the associations in which
the accessions that formed group II (CIAT-16335
and CIAT-26646) were present showed the best
performance, when making an overall analysis of
agronomic and nutritional value variables Likewise, to
study structural and floristic composition variables, as
wellastheseedproductionpotential,isrecommended,
in order to propose a pre-commercial variety for the
agroecosystems with acid soil without using inputs.
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Received: April 23, 2018
Accepted: June 21, 2018
18. 164 Pastos y Forrajes, Vol. 41, No. 3, July-September, 164-169, 2018 / Javier Antonio Herrera-Toscano
Scientific Paper
Selection of local resources for sheep feeding in the Las Tunas municipality,
Cuba
Javier Antonio Herrera-Toscano1
and Oscar Carmenate-Figueredo2
1
Instituto de Ciencia Animal, San José de las Lajas, gaveta postal No. 1, CP 32700, Mayabeque, Cuba.
2
Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de Las Tunas, Municipio Las Tunas, Provincia Las Tunas, Cuba
E-mail: jherrera@ica.co.cu
Abstract
The objective of this study was to select the main available local resources, with potentialities for sheep feeding,
in the Las Tunas municipality –Las Tunas province, Cuba–. The method of expert consultation was applied, to a panel
of 26 members. The local resources were classified into non-forage and forage ones. Their evaluation was based on
different criteria: annual availability, total supply cost, nutritional value, conservation time and cost, adaptability
to local edaphoclimatic conditions, production in the dry season, resistance to pests and diseases, and production
without irrigation and fertilization. Nine locally available resources were selected for sheep feeding, 66 % of which
were forage ones. The highest value in forage resources corresponded to Leucaena leucocephala (Lam) de Wit (4,68
± 0,02) and the lowest, to Moringa oleifera Lam (3,18 ± 0,87). In non-forage resources, calcium carbonate had the
highest value (4,75 ± 0,75) and distillery vinasse, the lowest value (3,0 ± 0,10). Regarding the integral evaluation of the
forage resources, the highest values corresponded to Saccharum officinarum L., L. leucocephala and the Pennisetum
varieties: 4,54; 4,51 and 4,43, respectively; and the lowest ones to Tithonia diversifolia (Hemsl.) A. Gray, M. oleifera
and Morus alba L.: 2,99; 2,66 and 2,64, respectively. It is concluded that in the Las Tunas municipality there are
between five and six resources with potentialities for sheep production, among which calcium carbonate as non-forage
resource and L. leucocephala as forage resource stood out.
Keywords: evaluation, animal production, food security
Introduction
The adverse economic situation faced by Cuba
originates the need to increase food production radi-
cally; this objective is an issue of maximum con-
cern and occupation by the Cuban Government and
State. For such reason, a diversification of agricul-
tural production is mandatory in order to offer meat
products from different animal species.
In this sense, sheep are an important source
for meat production under tropical conditions.
Arece et al. (2013) stated that Pelibuey is the breed
with more potential for the production of small
ruminants in Cuba and plays a significant role, in
small-scale family economy as well as in the state
entrepreneurial sector.
Nevertheless, sheep production shows a set of
limitations that causes scarce and unstable yields,
which leads to low levels of sale and consumption
of this product throughout the country; in this re-
gard, the National Office of Statistics and Informa-
tion (ONEI, 2017) indicated that 14 291 t of sheep
meat were sold in agricultural markets, by the end
of 2016, scenario that constitutes a limiting factor
in the commercialization of this product.
On the other hand, the Pelibuey breed shows
good adaptation to the tropical environment, which
allows its exploitation in diverse types of produc-
tive systems, from the low-input to intensive pro-
duction systems, although the former are the most
widely used ones(Partida-de-la-Peña et al., 2013).
Factors of diverse nature have restricted the
development of sheep rearing in the tropical zone;
for example, the adverse climate conditions, relat-
ed to scarce and irregular rainfall volumes, high
temperatures and high relative humidity. This is
manifested in the insufficient productive yield of
the exploited breeds, as well as in the farmers’ so-
cioeconomic situation. On the other hand, the im-
plementation of crossing programs of tropical sheep
with improved breeds is insufficient, and besides an
inadequate sanitary management of the animals is
made; however, the quantitative as well as qualita-
tive limitations in the feeding basis are considered by
many researchers the fundamental and most difficult
problem to solve (Ruiz, 2011; Velasco et al., 2015).
The above-stated facts show the importance
of using feasible methodologies to identify the avail-
able resources at local level, with potentialities for
19. Pastos y Forrajes, Vol. 41, No. 3, July-September, 164-169, 2018 / Local resources for sheep feeding 165
animal feeding and management. In this sense, the
concept of local resource emerges as a philoso-
phy, which could be defined as any resource that is
obtained in a certain zone and is used for its benefit.
This perspective, which has often been the object
of research (Rendón et al., 2014; Meza-Carranco et
al., 2016), should be assimilated and enhanced with
higher intensity to aspire to improve sustainably the
productivity and efficiency indexes, in production
systems with sheep and other species.
Based on the above-explained facts, the objec-
tive of this work was to select the main available lo-
cal resources, with potentialities for feeding sheep
in the Las Tunas municipality, Cuba.
Materials and Methods
Characteristics of the study zone. The study
was conducted in the Las Tunas municipality, Las
Tunas province, Cuba, located at 20º 57’ 25” N latitude,
76º 57’ 13” W longitude, with an altitude above sea
level of 90 m. the main climate variables in the
last ten years averaged rainfall values of 1 038 mm,
temperature of 28 ºC and 76 % of relative humidity,
which corresponds to a dry tropical climate.
Concerning the methodology used, there are
several procedures aimed at investigating and com-
piling the perceptive information about a certain
issue in particular; the Delphi method is one of
them. It is the most widely used expert consultation
research technique. It consists in the systematic uti-
lization of an intuitive judgment by a group of indi-
viduals who have knowledge about a specific topic
(Rowe and Wright, 2011).
Delphi procedure for this study. A panel of 26
experts was created, integrated by professionals with
work experience in the studied zone. Two rounds of
interviews took place: in the first one the quantity
and types of resources that could be used in the farm
were selected, and in the second one the resources
were evaluated, with the experts’ participation. The
questionnaire was applied in all the cases through
interview to the experts; they showed differences
regarding their professions and belonged to four
entities: four from the Institute of Animal Science;
seven from the University of Las Tunas; six from
the Provincial Agriculture Delegation; five from the
provincial Cuban Association of Animal Production
(NGO) and four from the Las Tunas Pastures and
Forages Research Station. The average of years of
professional experience in the group was 26,6.
The resources were classified into forage and
non-forage ones, and their evaluation was based on
different criteria (table 1).
A questionnaire was elaborated that contained
two questions directly related to the utilization of
the potential local resources in sheep feeding in the
Las Tunas municipality and its vicinity.
Question 1. Evaluate the pertinence of how
many feeding resources you consider necessary in
a farm for feeding sheep in Las Tunas municipality.
Question 2. Select the local resources you con-
sider viable for sheep feeding in Las Tunas munici-
pality, and evaluate each resource in correspondence
with the proposed scale.
In the measurement of the experts’ opinions,
Likert’s (1932) scale was used; for the evaluation of
the resources an index resulting from the sum of the
values of each item, from which the defining deci-
sion was made, was taken into consideration. The
variable total supply cost was considered negative,
as it is a detrimental element in productive systems.
Question 1: 1. Totally disagree, 2. Almost dis-
agree, 3. Moderately agree, 4. Almost agree, 5. To-
tally agree.
Question 2: 1. Completely inadequate, 2. Al-
most inadequate, 3. Moderately adequate, 4. Al-
most adequate, 5. Completely adequate.
With the information obtained from each ex-
pert, according to their answers the descriptive
Table 1. Criteria used in the selection of local resources.
Non-forage resources Forage resources
Annual availability Annual availability
Total supply cost Adaptability to the local edaphoclimatic conditions
Nutritional value (protein and/or energy) Production in the dry season
Conservation time and cost Resistance to pests and diseases
Production without irrigation or fertilization
Nutritional value (protein and/or energy)
20. 166 Pastos y Forrajes, Vol. 41, No. 3, July-September, 164-169, 2018 / Javier Antonio Herrera-Toscano
statistics average and typical deviation were calcu-
lated, through the Microsoft Excel worksheet.
Results and Discussion
The panel members’ opinion about the quan-
tity of necessary resources to guarantee sheep
rearing under the conditions of the municipalities
indicated that they should be five or more than
this value. This result is due, to a large extent, to
two main factors: first, rainfall seasonality, which
originates instability in the availability and quality of
feedstuffs, which in turn entails that it is necessary
to have a high degree of diversification in the feeding
front; and, second, the imperative of balancing the
diet to cover the basic nutritional requirements of
the animals (NRC, 2016; Perdomo et al., 2017).
The values close to zero of the typical deviation
(table 2) indicated that there was homogeneity in
the responses and, thus, little dispersion around
them (Solanas et al., 2005).
Table 3 shows the results of the selection of the
resources that were mostly considered by the experts
and their corresponding degree of importance. In to-
tal the resources mentioned were nine; it should be
emphasized that 66 % of these resources are forage
ones, which has direct relation with the principles of
ruminant animal production under tropical condi-
tions and the production costs (Alonso, 2016).
The highest values in the forage resources were
obtained in white leadtree (Leucaena leucocepha-
la) and the Pennisetum varieties; in the non-forage
resources, the calcium carbonate source turned
out to be the preferred one. With this selection it is
guaranteed that the energy requirements are cov-
ered with sugarcane (S. officinarum) and the Pennise-
tum varieties.
Table 2. Stadigraphs of the application of the Likert scale for the
selection of the necessary feeding resources in a sheep
production farm.
Item Average Standard deviation
One resource 1,00 -
Two resources 1,00 -
Three resources 2,30 0,56
Four resources 3,72 0,97
Five resources 4,40 0,61
More than five resources 4,45 0,78
Likert scale: 1. Completely disagree, 2. Almost disagree, 3. Moderately
agree, 4. Almost agree, 5. Completely agree.
Table 3. Stadigraphs of the application of the Likert scale in the
determination of the importance of the feeding resources.
Item Average Typical deviation
L. leucocephala 4,68 0,02
Saccharum officinarum 3,65 0,24
Pennisetum varieties 4,30 0,06
Tithonia diversifolia 3,28 0,40
Moringa oleifera 3,18 0,87
Morus alba 4,02 0,63
Calcium carbonate 4,75 0,35
Common salt (NaCl) 3,80 0,24
Distillery vinasse 3,00 0,10
Likert scale. 1. Completely inadequate, 2. Almost inadequate, 3. Modera-
tely adequate, 4. Almost adequate, 5. Completely adequate
21. Pastos y Forrajes, Vol. 41, No. 3, July-September, 164-169, 2018 / Local resources for sheep feeding 167
Protein could be covered mainly with white
leadtree, Mexican sunflower (T. diversifolia) and
mulberry (M. alba). The minerals would be covered
with the calcium carbonate sources, salt and dis-
tillery vinasse. The proposed list served as starting
point in the selection of the resources with higher
potential, in order to guarantee the stable growth
and development of the different sheep catego-
ries under the conditions of the locality. Similarly
to the above-explained case, the values of typical
deviation indicated that the dispersion around the
responses was low, which showed a high level of
consensus.
Regarding the selection of forage resources, the
first three species turned out to be the ones with the
best integral scoring (table 4). In the case of white
leadtree, most of the surveyed persons stated that it
adapts well to the soil and climate conditions of the
territory, coinciding with the results obtained by
Pérez-Corría et al. (2014) and Román-Miranda et
al. (2016), and Miranda et al. (2016), who concluded
that it is a species with excellent performance in
many parts of the world and shows good chemical
composition and nutritional value. The variable
yield in the dry season, one of those with higher
discriminating capacity in this research, was
qualified as sufficient, which coincides with the
reports by Bacab et al. (2013) and Reyes et al.
(2015) under tropical conditions, where the yields
were 2,47 and 2,04 t DM ha-1
per month in the dry
season, respectively.
Based on the resistance to the attack by pests
and diseases, the experts’ judgment was equally
positive; because, although this species is prefe-
rably attacked by phytophagous insects, such as
Heteropsylla cubana and Mormidea pictiventris,
there are enough organisms that act as biological
controls, for which they do not represent an important
threat for the sustainability of the systems in which
the tree is used (Alonso et al., 2005).
Another aspect considered as positive was its
yield without irrigation and fertilization, conditions
under which animal husbandry is developed in the
Las Tunas municipality. Thus, the weighting of the
criteria that were analyzed indicated that white
leadtree shows a remarkable integral value for its
utilization in local productive systems.
Sugarcane turned out to be the species of
higher integral value, due to its excellent dry
matter yield in low-input systems under tropical
conditions, in dry seasons; and due to its rusticity,
in spite of its nutritional deficiencies, which can be
solved in the proposed technological scheme. This
species, because of the above-mentioned attributes,
is considered by many researchers as strategic
par excellence (Martín, 2004). Similar results to
those of sugarcane were obtained in the evaluation
of the Pennisetum varieties, among which are:
Cenchrus purpureus x Pennisetum glaucum cv.
OM-22, Cenchrus purpureus vc. CT-169, elephant
grass and others. It should be emphasized that the
nutritional value of this species is higher than that
of sugarcane, and their yields in tons of dry matter
per hectare are very similar, factors that show their
real possibilities (Nava-Cabello et al., 2013).
In the other species (Mexican sunflower,
drumstick tree and mulberry) the results were low-
er, because they showed lower dry matter yield in
the dry season without irrigation and fertilization,
Table 4. Results of the evaluation of the forage resources.
Item L. leucocephala S. officinarum
Pennisetum
varieties
T. diversifolia M. oleifera M. alba
Adaptability to the
local edaphoclimatic
conditions
4,65 4,78 3,6 4,03 3,22 2,06
Production in the dry
season
4,31 5,00 5,00 2,30 2,43 2,08
Resistance to pests and
diseases
4,66 4,75 4,70 4,07 1,87 2,21
Production without irri-
gation and fertilization
4,20 4,90 4,85 1,86 2,04 2,21
Nutritional value 4,75 3,31 4,00 2,46 3,75 4,67
Integral value 4,51 4,54 4,43 2,94 2,66 2,64
22. 168 Pastos y Forrajes, Vol. 41, No. 3, July-September, 164-169, 2018 / Javier Antonio Herrera-Toscano
compared with the previous ones. The reports by
Ruiz et al. (2012), Meza et al. (2016) and Pentón
et al. (2016) support this statement. The low nutri-
tional value of T. diversifolia was interesting, which
could have been related to its low dry matter con-
tent, of 10 and 12 % for the rainy and dry seasons,
respectively, according to Lezcano et al. (2012). In
M. oleifera the main deficiency was the suscepti-
bility to pests and diseases and to the invasion by
weeds in the establishment stage (Meza et al., 2016;
Padilla et al., 2017). Based on the criteria expressed
by the panel members, the integral evaluation of
these last three species was lower than three units,
for which they were placed (according to the scale)
in the categories «Completely inadequate» or «Al-
most inadequate»; this implied that they were not
chosen as potentially usable resources for sheep
production under the specific conditions of the Las
Tunas municipality.
In general, in all the non-forage resources an
adequate level of consensus was reached regarding
their favorable nutritional and economic feasibility
for feeding sheep. The qualitative evaluation of the
three non-forage resources that were selected by the
experts is shown in table 5.
The chosen calcium source was considered
as highly available, because it can be acquired by
farmers throughout the year, aspect that, combined
with the little quantity that is necessary in order to
cover the requirements of the animals, confers a
low cost to it. With regards to the other attributes,
it was considered that it shows sufficient nutritional
value with regards to the nutrient it contributes;
and its physical and chemical properties allow that,
under adequate conditions, the product could be
preserved for a long time period. The sum of the
above-mentioned criteria indicated, integrally, that
the calcium-carrying source is considered adequate.
Regarding the distillery vinasse, resource that
according to Vargas et al. (2014) is appropriate for
feeding different animal species, especially rumi-
nants, was equally evaluated as available in high
degree and low cost, because it is a residue from the
process of obtaining alcohol. Its nutritional value was
qualified as sufficient. On the other hand, its con-
servation is feasible and lasting as long as it is done
in airtight containers. Another important aspect,
but not studied in this research, is that the utiliza-
tion of distillery vinasse constitutes an alternative
to decrease environmental contamination (Rendón
et al., 2014). The above-stated fact allowed to con-
clude that such resource is appropriate for feeding
sheep in the territory.
The criteria that were expressed in the case of
common salt (NaCl) were also favorable; the least
positive aspect was cost, which could be lower
depending on the places where the product is pur-
chased. Although it is an available resource, it is
not ideal to supply the mineral deficiencies that
could appear in the animals, for which it would be
necessary to implement the use of multiple mineral
supplements that make a contribution of other im-
portant elements for the functioning of the animal
organism (Stewart, 2013).
It is concluded that there are between five and
six resources with potentialities for sheep produc-
tion in the Las Tunas municipality, among which
calcium carbonate as non-forage resource and L.
leucocephala as forage stand out.
Acknowledgements
The authors thank the workers of the provin-
cial delegation of the Ministry of Agriculture in Las
Tunas province, Republic of Cuba, for the logistic
support provided.
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24. 170 Pastos y Forrajes, Vol. 41, No. 3, July-September, 170-174, 2018 / Maritza Rizo-Alvarez
Scientific Paper
Influence of EcoMic®
and Pectimorf®
on the establishment
of Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit. cv. Cunningham
Maritza Rizo-Alvarez, Dariel Morales-Querol, Tania Sánchez-Santana, Onel López-Vigoa,
Yuseika Olivera-Castro, Miguel A. Benítez-Alvarez and Fernando Ruz-Suárez
Estación Experimental de Pastos y Forrajes Indio Hatuey, Universidad de Matanzas, Ministerio de Educación Superior
Central España Republicana, CP 44280, Matanzas, Cuba
E-mail: maritza.rizo@ihatuey.cu
Abstract
TheobjectiveofthestudywastoevaluatetheinfluenceofthebiofertilizerEcoMic®
,thebioactiveproductPectimorf®
and their combination, on some morphobotanical variables during the establishment of Leucaena leucocephala(Lam.) cv.
Cunningham. For such purpose a randomized block design was used with three replicas, and the following treatments: T1:
thermal scarification (control), T2: inoculation with EcoMic®
, T3: imbibition in Pectimorf®
, T4: imbibition in Pectimorf®
+ inoculation with EcoMic®
. The variables height, number of branches and stem diameter were measured until the plants
were 12 months old. The best values of each variable were obtained when, after thermal scarification (T1), the seeds were
inoculated with EcoMic®
(T2) or imbibed in Pectimorf®
(T3), without significant differences between them; while the
control showed the lowest values. The height increased in T2 and T3 by 12 %, with regards to T1. It is concluded that
the imbibition in Pectimorf®
or the inoculation with EcoMic®
of the seeds from L. leucocephala cv. Cunningham, after
thermal scarification, improved the biological response of the plants during the establishment regarding their height,
number of branches and stem diameter. Hence they can be used indistinctly, in order to reduce such period in the animal
husbandry systems where it is used.
Keywords: height, scarification, inoculation, seeds
Introduction
Legumes perform functions of high agroeco-
logical relevance in silvopastoral systems (SPS),
because they improve the quality of the animal diet
and contribute nitrogen to the system, which im-
plies an advantage from the biological and economic
point of view; hence the interest in ensuring the es-
tablishment of these species in the systems.
Among the most widely used legumes in SPS is
Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit., due to the
crude protein content of its foliage (Petit-Aldana
et al., 2010), to its capacity to regrow after pruning
or browsing and to be rapidly re-established after
biotic or abiotic stress, among other aspects;
nevertheless, this species shows difficulties for its
establishment due to the dormancy of its seeds.
In this sense, the establishment constitutes one
of the most vulnerable stages in the life cycle of
plants. In the case of the species with exclusively
sexual reproduction, persistence depends on the
establishment of new seedlings and on the longevity
of adult plants (Ramos-Font et al., 2015).
At present, the use of biofertilizers and
bioactive products constitutes a common practice
in agriculture to reduce the establishment period
of crops and, in turn, improve productivity; among
the most widely used for this purpose are Azofert®
,
EcoMic®
and Pectimorf®
(João et al., 2016).
The application of Glomus mosseae
significantly increased growth indicators (fresh
leaf biomass, fresh root biomass and height) in
L. leucocephala, with regards to the addition of
native mycorrhiza; and, also, mycorrhizal infection
exceeded 90 % of the roots (Cuesta et al., 2006). The
bioactive product Pectimorf®
has been validated in
sugarcane, rice, tomato and citrus fruits (Terrero,
2010) and also in sorghum (Pentón et al., 2011), but
in L. leucocephala it has been tested only under
nursery conditions (Bover-Felices et al., 2017).
That is why the objective of this research was to
evaluate the influence of the bioproducts EcoMic®
and Pectimorf®
on some morphobotanical variables,
during the establishment of L. leucocephala cv.
Cunningham.
Materials and Methods
Locality and geographical location. The trial
was conducted in 1,6 ha belonging to the ani-
mal production areas of the Pastures and Forages
