overview of the agro-ecological zones and forage production

15/06/2012
ANTONIO SOTOMAYOR
AND
YAMIL QUIJANO
With the assistance of Edwin
Mas,NRCS and David Sotomayor UPR,
CAS.
1
15/06/2012
2
20.0
13.5
7.5
19.5
13.0
7.0
19.0
12.5
6.5
18.5
6.0
18.0
Sunrise
Sunset
Duration (hrs)
5.5
5.0
273
0
12.0
Duration (hrs)
10
/0
1
09
/0
1
08
/0
1
07
/0
1
06
/0
1
05
/0
1
04
/0
1
02
/0
1
03
/0
1
01
/0
1
12
/0
1
11
/0
1
8.0
Sunset (24 hr)
Sunrise (24 hr)
10
/0
1
15/06/2012
11.5
17.5
11.0
17.0
10.5
73
Day of year






“CERRO DE PUNTA,” 4,389 ft
“LOS TRES PICACHOS AND “MONTE DE
GUILARTE,” 3,952 FT
“SIERRA DE LUQUILLO” “EL TORO” 3,523
“EL YUNQUE,” 3,493 FT
“CERRO LA SANTA,” 2,962 FT
3
15/06/2012



FROM WEST TO THE END EAST COAST
MOST EXTENSIVE RANGE “CORDILLERA
CENTRAL” (WEST) AND “SIERRA DE
CAYEY”(EAST)
STATE-OWNED PARKS AND FOREST
RESERVES: “Monte del Estado. “BOSQUE DE
GUILARTE” AND PART OF “BOSQUE DE
SUSUA.”
4
15/06/2012

Pastures and native grasses (23%).
Food crops: plantains, bananas, taniers, yams, citrus,
other orchards (23%).

Coffee (7%)

Forest (34%)

Water (2 %)

Urban (14 %)
Percent

100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Private
Federal

Crop
Grass
Forest
Urban
Water
Other
23.0
23.0
34.0
14.0
2.0
3.0
1.0
CROPS (PLANTAINS, BANNANAS, SWEET
POTATOES,OTHERS)

TOTAL VALUE (2010-11): $65,587,000.

CONTRIBUTION TO THE TOTAL GAI: 8.3%
5
15/06/2012






ACREAGE: 53,000
FARMERS: 10,000
JOBS: 20,000
VALUE: $29,558,000
CONTRIBUTION TO THE GAI: 3.7%
PRICE/UNIT (QUINTAL): $246.32
6
15/06/2012
7
15/06/2012



SOUTHERN SLOPES OF THE CENTRAL
MOUNTAIN CHAIN (445 SQ MILES)
STEEP MOUNTAINS, MAINLY ROCKS
CRETACEOUS PERIOD, LOWER
MOUNTAINS OF TERTIARY LIMESTONE.
SOILS: Mollisols, Descalabrado, San Anton
series
8
15/06/2012




AVER ANNUAL PRECIPITATION 45 in
(COAST); 60 in HIGHER GROUND INLAND
DRIER DECEMBER TO MARCH
RAINY APRIL-MAY, SEMI-DRY JUNE-JULY
TEMPERATURE: AVERAGE ANNUAL 79 F
9
15/06/2012
LAND USE:
Percent

100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Private
Federal




Crop
Grass
Forest
Urban
Water
Other
4.0
38.0
25.0
16.0
1.0
5.0
5.0
5.0
1.0
MOST NORTH COAST ( 964 SQ MILES).
LONGITUDINAL DEPRESSIONS-SWAMPS
AND LAGOONS Arecibo to Sabana Seca
LIMESTONE MOUNTAINS ORIGINATED
FROM THE OLIGOCEN TO MIOCENE
FLAT PART ALLUVIAL FLOODPLAINS
10
15/06/2012





AVER ANNUAL PRECIPITATION 60-85 in
DRIER, DECEMBER TO MARCH
AVERAGE ANUAL TEMP: 77 F
SOILS COASTAL PLAINS: ULTISOL (VEGA
ALTA, ACEITUNA SERIES); OXISOL
(ALMIRANTE, BAYAMON SERIES); WELLDRAINED MOLLISOLS (TOA SERIES)
Limestone karst, molisoll (Colinas, Soller
series)
11
15/06/2012



DAIRY FARM ACREAGE: ABOUT 60,000
GRAZING (85%), CUT GRASS (15%)
330 DAIRIES, 86 % ON THE EAST-WEST
COASTAL PLAINS; 14% ON THE NORTH
AND NORTH CENTRAL PART OF PUERTO
RICO
Land Use
Percent

100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Private
Federal
Crop
Grass
Forest
Urban
Water
Other
7.0
24.0
27.0
33.0
2.0
5.0
2.0
12
15/06/2012

LAJAS VALLEY 40,000 ACRES
HACIENDA LAS CAROLINAS
WINTER NURSERIES 5,526 ACRES
2010: 3054 workers.
2015 projections: 750 regular and 4,000 workers
Total operational budget: $74.6 million
3-4 cycles/year; 2 crop cycles/winter season

HORTICULTURAL CROPS $44 MILLION






13
15/06/2012





ACREAGE: NEAR 2,000
7,000 beef - 1,000 CHARBRAY COWS
IRRIGATION, ORGANIC FERT ILIZER
SORGHUM YIELDS 16-18 T/A/YR, 9-12% CP
AVE, DAILY GAINS: 2.5-3.5 LBS
LEGUMES: CENTROSEMA, CROTALARIA,
STYLOSANTHES, TERAMNUS****
14
15/06/2012
15
15/06/2012
16
15/06/2012







THE UNIVERSITY OF PUERTO RICO,
AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION
(UPR-AES), COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURAL
SCIENCES
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF
AGRICULTURE, AGRICULTURAL
RESEARCH SERVICE, (USDA-ARS) SOIL
AND WATER CONSERVATION DIVISION
USDA-ARS, TROPICAL AGRICULTURE
RESEARCH STATION (TARS), MAYAGUEZ
AGGRESIVE PROGRAM INTRODUCTION %
EVALUATION BRACHIARIAS, CYNODONS,
DIGITARIAS, PANICUMS. PENNISETUMS,
OTHERS
RECLASSIED AND FIELD EVALUATED
FIRST TIME STARGRASS, C. NLEMFUENSIS,
B. BRIZANTHA, B. RUZIZIENSIS, B. MUTICA,
THE OAKES DIGITARIA COLLECTION
17
Species
40000
30000
20000
10000
Dry forage yield (kg/ha/yr)
.n
le
Species
C
B.
m
ic
a
25
ut
(1
5
m
m
60000
le
m
en
fu
n
ty
lo
yu
s
ch
ac
C
.d
.n
va
r
14
87
)
15
(1
(1
0
C
.d
04
si
)
s
ac
(2
34
ty
lo
C
1)
n
.d
C
(1
.p
ac
12
le
ty
12
ct
lo
o
n
)
C
(1
. p sta
15
ch
le
05
yu
ct
os
s
)
(1
ta
14
ch
C
C
.a
86
yu
.d
et
s
)
ac
hi
ty
op (11
lo
4
ic
89
n
us
Va
)
C
(1
.p
rc
14
le
ou
51
ct
rs
os
)
i(
ta
11
ch
4
55
yu
s
)
(1
14
88
)
s
ta
os
ct
Dry forage yield (kg/ha/yr)
20000
si
en
fu
le
.p
C
(2
9
a
B.
th
a
ol
ic
iz
an
id
br
m
B.
hu
)
94
ut
ic
97
ru
a
zi
)
(2
zi
9
e
94
B.
ns
99
ru
is
zi
)
(3
zi
47
en
B.
23
si
ru
s
6)
zi
(3
zi
4
en
72
B.
zi
37
ru
s
zi
)
(3
zi
38
en
B.
22
zi
ru
s
1)
zi
(3
zi
4
en
47
B.
zi
64
ru
s
zi
)
(3
zi
38
en
22
zi
s
0)
(2
47
20
4)
B.
B.
Dry forage yield (kg/ha/yr)
30000
5
24
30
15
22
4
28
14
21
20
23
26
19
29
27
7
11
6
18
2
17
8
12
13
10
1
3
25
9
16
0
12
72
I-
11
53
ke
r
M
er
73
9
8
50
07
07
73
13
13
Dry forage yield (kg/ha/yr)
15/06/2012
40000
40000
30000
20000
10000
10000
0
Species
50000
50000
40000
30000
20000
0
10000
0
Species
18
15/06/2012

At Finca Montaña there are 14 bulls, 10 of
which are pure Senepol
19
15/06/2012









CONTRIBUTED TO THE DEVELOPMENT,
ENHANCEMENT OF SUPERIOR FORAGE
SORGHUM POPULATIONS
DEMONSTRATED FORAGE SORGHUM
POTENTIALS OF “MILLO BLANCO”
DEVELOPED INTERSPECIFIC HYBRID (P.
PURPURASCENS X P. COLORATUM
EVALUATED DWARF NAPIER GRASS FOR
USE UNDER GRAZING
HIGH-YIELDING GRASSES
INTENSIVE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
DRY FORAGE YIELDS OF OVER 30,000
kg/ha/yr –
IN PASTURES: FIVE STEERS OR 2.5 MILK
COWS/ha WITHOUT ADDITIONAL FEED
OVER 1,000 kg/yr OF GAIN OR OVER 7,500
L/yr OF MILK, RESPECTIVELY

20
15/06/2012
Grass
Dry forage yield
Total digestible
nutrients
----------------------Kg/ha/yr----------------Napier
35,200
14,100
Congo
32,600
13,000
Guinea
30,800
12,300
Star
29,000
11,600
Pangola
27,200
10,900
Para
27,200
10,900
Carib
27,200
10,900
Signal
27,200
10,900
275000
Fertilizer consumption (t)
250000
Total fertilizer (mixed)
Total fertilizer (unmixed)
225000
200000
175000
y = 2,549 x exp[56.7/(x - 1,936)]; r2 = 0.96
y = - 2,740 x + 5.538 x 106; r2 = 0.90
150000
125000
100000
75000
50000
25000
0
1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010
21
100
120
Relative yield
Consumption
100
% Relative yield
80
80
60
60
40
40
20
20
Consumption (% of that recomended)
15/06/2012
s
s
s ple am ier
s ins
e
s)
ge
na
ffe
y tan ange paya able
co fora lanta ana neap
or
pa eget
b
p
pi
v
(
s
op
l cr
ura
t
l
u
rtic
Ho
Leche
26.12%
Leche
Pecuarios Otros
Pollo
Res
Cerdo
Cabro/Carnero y Conejo
Huevos
Café
Farináceos
Frutas
Hortalizas Legumbres
Ornamentales
Misceláneos
Pescado Mariscos
Subsidios
Otros
22
15/06/2012
23
15/06/2012
Numbe r of Farms and Land in Farms
Puerto Rico C ensus of Agriculture
1,200
Thousand Cuerda
800
18
600
400
Thousand Farms
22
1,000
14
200
10
0
1978
1982
1987
1992
1998
2002
2007
Census Year
Land in Farm s
Farms
24
15/06/2012
25
15/06/2012






“OLD” VARIETIES
LACK OF GENETIC DIVERSITY
NO ADAPTION TO CLIMATE CHANGES ,
DROUGHT, HEAT, OTHERS,
NEW GERMPLASM NEEDED
NEW MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
TEAM WORK APPROACH
 VOLCANICS ROCK

CRETACEOUS PERIOD
26
15/06/2012


AVE ANNUAL PRECIP: 30 IN
MOST RAINFALL: MAY TO OCTOBER

AVE ANNUAL TEMP: 79 DEGREES

AGRO-ECOLOGICAL ZONES IN PUERTO RICO

MAIN AREAS, BEEF AND DAIRY, FOREST…


MAIN RESARCH RESULTS: UPR-AES, USDAARS-TARS, USDA-ARS, SWCD
CONCLUSIONS

27
15/06/2012

GROSS FARM INCOME (GFI)

2008-09: $792, 245,000

2009-10: $824,483, 000
28
15/06/2012
Municipios con mayor inventario de ganado bovino para
carne
Yabucoa
2007
2002
Fajardo
Ponce
Cabo Rojo
Coamo
0
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
7,000
Head







MEAN ANNUAL PRECIPITATION 80 - 85 in
MOST RAINFALL-MAY TO OCTOBER
TYPICALLY DRIER-DECEMBER TO MARCH
SEMI-DRY JUNE AND JULY
AVERAGE ANNUAL TEMPERATURES:
<70 F AT HIGHER ELEVATIONS
>74 F AT LOWER ELEVATIONS.
29
15/06/2012

URBAN EXPANSION

SOIL EROSION

SURFACE WATER CONTAMINANTS

PASTURES AND NATIVE GRASSES, 43%

LARGE AREAS FOR HAY AND SILAGE
30
15/06/2012
Orden
Inceptisol
Ultisol
Mollisol
Oxisol
Alfisol
Entisol
Vertisol
Histosol
Spodosol
Aridisols
Andisol
Gelisol
Total
Area
ha
266210
186487
135763
71419
37708
27399
39177
4383
1748
10273
780569
% total
%
35
24
18
9
5
4
5
1
0
1
Series
#
45
30
35
24
17
18
17
8
3
14
Series representativas
Múcara, Caguabo, Pellejas, Vieques, Coloso
Humatas, Consumo, Corozal, Lares
San Antón, Pozo Blanco, Descalabrado, Soller
Catalina, Nipe, Coto, Bayamón, Los Guineos
Tanamá
San Germán
Fraternidad, Aguirre
Tiburones
Algarrobo
197
Otros terrenos 113454
Agua
5357





PRIMARILY ON THE CARIBBEAN SOUTH
COAST (270 SQ MILES)
THE LAJAS VALLEY
LARGE BEE FARMS
WINTER NURSERIES
HORTICULTURAL CROPS
31
Br
a
va
r.n
le
m
ch
D
fu
ia
ig
D
en
ria
ita
ig
si
ita
ria
ru
s
ria
zi
de
D
sm zien
cu
ig
si
Br
m
ut
ita
s
be
ss
ac
ria
iS
ns
hi
de
ar
t
S
e
cu
ia
nt
te
m
.
br
nt
be
iz
.an
ns
H
D
th
ex
St
ig
a
ap
en
ita
an
r
t.
go
- T ia d
la
e
ra
cu
ns
m
va
b
en
la
s
di
Br
gi
D
ac
tg
ig
r
h
as
ita
C
ia
yn
s
ria
ria
od
er
m
on
ut
ia
nt
ic
da
a
ha
ct
yl
St
on
eu
va
d.
r.c
ou
rs
si
si
s
en
fu
Dry forage yield (kg/ha/yr)

em

nl

n

do

C
yn
o
15/06/2012
113 MILES LONG X 41 MILES WIDE, APROX.
3,435 SQ MILES (2.2 million ACRES)
POTENTIALS FOR AGRICULTURE USE:
HUMID MOUNTAINS: > 500,000 ACRES
FLAT MECHANIZALE LAND: >250,000 ACRES
AND > 300 ACRES FOR FORESTS
50000
40000
30000
20000
10000
0
Species
32
Sunrise (24 hr)
273
0
5.5
5
10
/0
1
09
/0
1
2
08
/0
1
7
07
/0
1
3
06
/0
1
05
/0
1
1
04
/0
1
4
02
/0
1
03
/0
1
01
/0
1
12
/0
1
11
/0
1
10
/0
1
Dry forage yield (kg/ha/yr)
15/06/2012
50000
40000
30000
20000
10000
0
Grass number
6
8.0
7.5
7.0
6.5
6.0
Sunrise
5.0
73
Day of year
33
Sunrise (24 hr)
273
0
5.5
5.0
6.0
Sunrise
Sunset
8.0
20.0
7.5
19.5
7.0
19.0
6.5
18.5
18.0
Sunset (24 hr)
10
/0
1
09
/0
1
08
/0
1
07
/0
1
06
/0
1
05
/0
1
04
/0
1
02
/0
1
03
/0
1
01
/0
1
12
/0
1
11
/0
1
10
/0
1
15/06/2012
17.5
73
17.0
Day of year
34
15/06/2012
Land Use
Percent

100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Private
Federal
Crop
Grass
Forest
Urban
Water
Other
20.0
27.0
6.0
23.0
5.0
10.0
8.0
1.0
35