Title

Effect of agroecological practices on soil characteristics in a specialized dairy system of the Colombian high tropics

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

4-1-2020

Publication Title

Livestock Research for Rural Development

Abstract

Conventional livestock production systems are based on the use of monocultures, agrochemicals and dewormers (ivermectins), which affect the soil by limiting its productive potential. Agroecological practices recover or preserve the soil productivity. Soil characteristics were determined in a specialized dairy system with agroecological practices, located in Cerinza, Boyacá (Colombia). The effect of the physical - chemical and microbiological properties, macrofauna and dung beetles, for six months, was determined in three treatments: open areas (open) and under the tree tops (8 year old trees and 30 year old trees). It was used a randomized, parametric and nonparametric statistical design, using the Infostat® software. The physicochemical properties were similar, the organic matter and organic carbon were higher in the tree treatments. There were no differences (p = 0.1489) in the penetration resistance, the open treatment showed greater depth (p <0.0001). No differences were found in the total macrofauna. There were found two species of dung beetles, Uroxys coartactus predominated in tree treatments, while Onthophagus curvicornis in the open. Microbiological richness was found in all treatments; in open and under eight year old trees, a greater amount of fungi and nitrogen-fixing bacteria was found, while in tree treatments there was a higher content of phosphate solubilizing microorganisms and actinomycetes. The soil temperature was higher in open (2°C in average). The implementation of agroecological practices in livestock systems, allows to improve the physical, chemical and microbiological properties in the soil and edaphic macrofauna, recovering or conserving the productive potential of the soil.

Volume

32

Issue

4

ISSN

01213784

Identifier

SCOPUS_ID:85084675210

Documento original

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