it is uncommon for maize stubble (residue left on the plot after harvest) to be incorporated with the intention of improving the soil; Generally, it is packed and used to feed livestock, especially in dry season.
Cattle nutrition is not only based on the consumption of stubble, other elements must be considered that allow obtaining a better quality protein and minerals that allow a good development.
Corn production in Mexico is linked to livestock production, whether we are talking about pigs and poultry, small livestock (sheep and goats) or large livestock (cattle), which consume corn grain and stubble as part of their diet. We know that cattle represent an income option for rural families and, on occasions, it also constitutes a limitation to leave stubble coverage on plots, although the ideal is to find a balance between what is left as coverage and what is used for animal feed.
Sheep, goats and cattle are ruminants, capable of taking advantage of forage fiber through a process called rumination, for which the forage is used indiscriminately as food, without taking into account its vegetative state. The degradation of the forage accelerates from its state of maturity, since the drier it is, the lower its digestibility. Hence, the concept of "digestible nutrients" arose in livestock farming, and these are more important than raw-based nutrients. It is more appropriate to have a food supplement based on grains, silo and mineral salts, in a portion of 70%, 29% and 1%, which allows balancing the nutritional contribution of the cattle diet.
Here are some recommendations from our partners in the South Pacific Hub to combine livestock with AC:
For intensive grazing systems, where the aim is to make the most of the forage resources of the paddock or meadow, models have been designed based on the rotation of paddocks, which allow regeneration of organic matter and forage growth, or the implementation of ferti-irrigation, which provide the necessary nutrients and water for forage growth.
We can find alternative grazing systems such as New Zealand or holistic. The first is based on the rotation of pastures and the incorporation of ferti-irrigation technologies, and the second, on the use of all the natural resources of the grazing area, but without damaging the ecosystem.
As an alternative to stubble, it is recommended to produce corn silo in the milky corn phase or to produce cutting grasses.
Carry out controlled grazing that does not exceed 15 days after the harvest, to preserve the stubble in more than 35% of the soil surface, to take advantage of the herbs and annual grasses that remain after the harvest, complementing with it the income through of the milk and meat obtained in its production unit.
Controlled grazing of lower weight cattle species does not affect soil compaction.
Controlled grazing reduces the number of weeds, especially annual and perennial grasses, which minimizes the use of herbicides.
In the dry season of the autumn-winter cycle, cattle prefer to consume green forage because it has more moisture and is softer compared to the stubble that remains after sowing, harder due to the high content of lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose.
It is important to indicate that the nutrition of cattle is not only based on the consumption of stubble, other elements must be considered that allow obtaining a better quality protein and minerals that allow a good development. CA will advance to the extent that a higher grain yield and biomass production are achieved to meet the demand for forage for animals.
For more information on how to feed cattle properly, it is best to consult a veterinarian specialized in animal nutrition.
Thanks to the collaborators who sent us information for the preparation of this note: Ciriaco Ayala Sánchez, UACH; Integral Consulting for Rural Development; Jonathan Villa Alcantara, Upapt; Omar Nuñez Penaloza; Yashim Victoria Reyes, Integrator of Basic of the Isthmus, SPR.
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