Silvopastoral systems in the Delta Region of Argentina

Abstract

The increase in cultivated area worldwide has brought about a change in land-use pattern. In the temperate-wet regions, the silvopastoral systems (SPS) that integrate afforestation using deciduous species with cattle raising create diversifi ed systems, which demand management practices to capitalise on the benefi cial effects and to minimise negative impact on the environment. The increase in silvopastoral activity on Salicaceae plantations in the region of the Delta of the Paraná River in Argentina raised the challenge of developing technologies for a forest-forage system that leads to sustainable cattle raising in this kind of environment. The acquired knowledge on SPS establishment aimed at producing quality wood of Populus sp. and Salix sp. for sawn wood, veneers, crushed wood, wood pulp and energy, and foliage as cattle feed. The use of bare (unrooted) pole cuttings of 1, 2, or 3 years of age as planting material, instead of cuttings, necessitates wide spacing in nursery planting (1 × 1 m and 1,2 × 1,2 m). This should reduce the time between fi eld planting of trees and letting cattle into the system without causing damage to the trees during the first and second years of plantation establishment. The wider spacing of trees in the plantation (5 × 5 m and 6 × 6 m) allows the establishment of a dense, productive understory consisting of native species of recognized nutritive value as well as shade-tolerant exotic species such as Dactylis glomerata that increase the understory carrying capacity. These management techniques, which optimise system productivity, should ensure proper use and balance between SPS components.