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Intensive grazing and maize silage to enhance the sustainability of small-scale dairy systems in the highlands of Mexico

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Abstract

The effects of two innovative feeding strategies—intensive grazing (GR) and maize silage (MS)—on the sustainability of small-scale dairy systems (SSDS) were assessed in the highlands of central Mexico. On a total of 24 farms, four innovations were adopted between 2011 and 2014. Five farms continued their conventional feeding strategy (CC) of cut-and-carry pasture supplemented with commercial concentrate and ground corn grain, as well as straws (maize, oat, and wheat) in the dry season of feed scarcity; six farms implemented MS in the dry season; six farms GR of pastures; and seven farms implemented both GR and MS. Assessment in 2015 showed that farms which implemented both GR and MS had a higher local diversity score (P ≤ 0.001), higher scores for ethics and human development, and a higher score in economic independence (P ≤ 0.05) than farms that implemented only one of the innovations. The overall sustainability score (with range 0–100) was 46 for CC, 47 for MS, 52 for GR, and 55 for GR + MS. The innovations reduced feeding costs and enhanced sustainability, particularly when GR + MS were both implemented.

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Acknowledgements

Authors express gratitude to the 24 farmers who participated in this experiment, whose privacy is respected by not disclosing their names. This work was undertaken thanks to funding by the Mexican National Council for Science and Technology (Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología—CONACYT, grant 129449 CB-2009) and the postgraduate grant for Fernando Prospero-Bernal.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto de Ciencias Agropecuarias y Rurales, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Instituto Literario #100, 50000, Toluca, Estado de México, Mexico

    Fernando Prospero-Bernal, Carlos Galdino Martínez-García, Felipe López-González & Carlos Manuel Arriaga-Jordán

  2. Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. Universidad #3000, 04510, Coyoacan, CDMX, Mexico

    Rafael Olea-Pérez

Authors
  1. Fernando Prospero-Bernal
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  2. Carlos Galdino Martínez-García
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  3. Rafael Olea-Pérez
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  4. Felipe López-González
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  5. Carlos Manuel Arriaga-Jordán
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Correspondence to Carlos Manuel Arriaga-Jordán.

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Statement on ethical standards and animal rights

The paper reports participatory research with 24 participating farmers who had knowledge of the objectives of the work and were duly informed at all times, and their privacy and that of their family is respected by not disclosing their names. Procedures followed accepted guidelines of the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México.

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Prospero-Bernal, F., Martínez-García, C.G., Olea-Pérez, R. et al. Intensive grazing and maize silage to enhance the sustainability of small-scale dairy systems in the highlands of Mexico. Trop Anim Health Prod 49, 1537–1544 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-017-1360-2

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