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Second FAO Electronic Conference on Tropical Feeds
Livestock Feed Resources within Integrated Farming Systems
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Abstract of the twelfth paper, from P. Sarria and M.E. Gomez.

Questions that might stimulate discussions on this topic
include:

1. Why did they change from crushing the cane to chopped
feeding?

2. Can the swine excreta mixed with spilled bagasse still be
used for biodigesters?

3. How much food and energy (biogas) is produced in this
system?

4. What other test apart from soil fertility can be used to
determine sustainability?

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INTEGRATED FARMING SYSTEMS IN THE ANDEAN FOOTHILLS IN COLOMBIA
(PRELIMINARY RESULTS)

Patricia Sarria and Maria Elena Gomez

CIPAV, Fundacion Centro para la Investigacion de Sistemas
Sostenibles en Produccion Agropecuaria, Cali, Colombia
E-mail: cipav@cali.cetcol.net.co

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ABSTRACT

This paper describes changes in farming systems in a community
in the Andean foothills of Colombia dictated by altered
circumstances and opportunities. The circumstances were the
declining supply of water to the community due to
deforestation provoked by extension of cattle grazing. The
opportunities were: (I) the use of multi-purpose trees (for
feed, fuel and soil fertility enhancement); (ii) high yielding
biomass crops (sugar cane) providing feed and soil
improvement; (iii) recycling of household waste water and
livestock manure to produce fuel (biogas) and fertilizer (the
effluent); (iv) use of earthworms to convert livestock manure
into protein for chickens and organic fertilizer; (v)
associated (multi-strata) cropping of horticultural plants
with multi-purpose trees to increase biomass yield and enhance
biodiversity; and (vi) simplification of the feeding system
(giving whole sugar cane stalk and tree leaves to pigs during
pregnancy).

Interim results are given showing effects on biomass yield and
on soil fertility.

KEY WORDS: Livestock, integration, feed, tree, sugarcane,
recycling, biogas, soil fertility

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FAO ELECTRONIC CONFERENCE:
LIVESTOCK FEED RESOURCES WITHIN INTEGRATED FARMING SYSTEMS
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