Track 3-05: Effective Pathways for Industry Use of Grasslands Technology
Description
The arid and semi-arid grasslands of both the ejidos (farming communities) and extensive (private) cattle ranches in northern México face serious degradation problems. This is visibly evident in the extent of soil erosion, loss of biodiversity and invasion of undesirable species (Ceballo et al. 2009). Severe impact of drought and over-grazing are important causes for the declining productivity now common place throughout these north Mexican grasslands. Two important contributing factors to this grassland degradation are: (1) the lack of continuous and well integrated education programs on the range and ranch management; and (2) a scarcity of government and private investment on infra-structure components to adequately control of grazing animals.
In many cases, range management practices are inadequate and oversimplified to meet the needs of ranchers who must manage integrated ecological processes that operate at a much larger scale than ejido land units or private ranches (Coballo et al. 2009). However, few landowners in Mexico are using integral management programs to improve animal production and natural resource conservation (Hanselka et al. 2005). More importantly, there is not a satisfactory way to teach current and future range managers to integrate and conduct the range management knowledge to the ejido or the ranch, despite the enormous demand for such knowledge b Mexican ranchers. This makes technology transfer in Mexico an area that can be developed using a systematic approach to improve rangelands for livestock and wildlife production (Teliz-Triujeque et al. 2009).
To improve technology transfer, Vásquez et al. (2006) developed a program comprising 8 components as the knowledge based required for an effective integrated ranch operation plan. To support this training program, the “Los Ángeles” ranch was started in 2011 as a practical demonstration of good management practices in northern México (Pérez 2012). The program was initially evaluated and analysed according to a 50 indicator guide to identify the main range management practices that should be planned, supported by knowledge, and executed in every cattle ranch. This means that the “Los Ángeles” ranch is the reference ranch of best practice.
Included in
Range Management Program: “Los Ángeles” Experimental Cattle Ranch in Northern México
The arid and semi-arid grasslands of both the ejidos (farming communities) and extensive (private) cattle ranches in northern México face serious degradation problems. This is visibly evident in the extent of soil erosion, loss of biodiversity and invasion of undesirable species (Ceballo et al. 2009). Severe impact of drought and over-grazing are important causes for the declining productivity now common place throughout these north Mexican grasslands. Two important contributing factors to this grassland degradation are: (1) the lack of continuous and well integrated education programs on the range and ranch management; and (2) a scarcity of government and private investment on infra-structure components to adequately control of grazing animals.
In many cases, range management practices are inadequate and oversimplified to meet the needs of ranchers who must manage integrated ecological processes that operate at a much larger scale than ejido land units or private ranches (Coballo et al. 2009). However, few landowners in Mexico are using integral management programs to improve animal production and natural resource conservation (Hanselka et al. 2005). More importantly, there is not a satisfactory way to teach current and future range managers to integrate and conduct the range management knowledge to the ejido or the ranch, despite the enormous demand for such knowledge b Mexican ranchers. This makes technology transfer in Mexico an area that can be developed using a systematic approach to improve rangelands for livestock and wildlife production (Teliz-Triujeque et al. 2009).
To improve technology transfer, Vásquez et al. (2006) developed a program comprising 8 components as the knowledge based required for an effective integrated ranch operation plan. To support this training program, the “Los Ángeles” ranch was started in 2011 as a practical demonstration of good management practices in northern México (Pérez 2012). The program was initially evaluated and analysed according to a 50 indicator guide to identify the main range management practices that should be planned, supported by knowledge, and executed in every cattle ranch. This means that the “Los Ángeles” ranch is the reference ranch of best practice.
