Incorporation of tree species with agricultural and agroindustrial waste in the generation of resilient livestock systems

Abstract

Tropical livestock in Mexico is pointed as a system that generates adverse environmental impacts, among them, deforestation, erosion, degradation and, recently, pollution with greenhouse gases, besides having low productive indicators, with low economic income for those who hold the activity, in a social environment where family units of rural production predominate. Our country has a mega-diverse environment with an important arboreal richness where its knowledge and use in livestock will
allow strategies for the reduction and/or mitigation of greenhouse gases and the development of resilient livestock systems, which also achieve substantial improvements in productive and economic performance of who holds it. Therefore, this study aims to propose integration of tree species associated with agricultural and agro-industrial waste (AAW) in the diet of ruminants in tropical areas. A new species with forage potential is proposed
due to its nutritional characteristics (Ricinus communis) and different cases are discussed, at ranch level, where productive performance is improved with the inclusion of arboreal species that allow adjustments to the dry tropic feeding systems associated with the AAWs, for the improvement in productive performance and for the favorable economic impact, particularly in Colima, associated with the market, are established as viable alternatives for tropical livestock.
Key words: cattle rearing, agroforestry, trees, profit, sustainability