Integrating Pastures into the Traditional Slash-and-Burn Cycle in Northeastern Pará, Brazil

Integrating Pastures into the Traditional Slash-and-Burn Cycle in Northeastern Pará, Brazil

A project to test possibilities to integrate pastures into the traditional slash-and-burn cycle of small farmers in the Bragantina region in northeastern Pará, Brazil, is presented. Whereas in practice the traditional grass-only pasture is managed separately from the crop/fallow cycle, two options for integration are tested: a Brachiaria humidicola pasture enriched with two bushy and one herbaceous legume, Cratylia argentea, Chamaecrista rotundifolia and Arachis pintoi, and a B. humidicola pasture allowing a controlled regrowth of secondary vegetation ("Capoeira"). The regeneration performance of these pastures for a subsequent cropping period is compared with plots of undisturbed regrowth of Capoeira concerning soil chemical and physical properties, botanical composition and biomass accumulation. To evaluate comparative pasture productivity and animal performance, a traditional grass-only pasture is included in the comparisons. The results will show if these alternative pastures lead to an ecologically more appropriate management concept for grasslands in the humid tropics.