“Many ranchers still believe that by burning the pasture they will be carrying out adequate management…”
Luiz Vezozzo is responsible for the livestock sector at Harvest Agro, with a degree in Business Administration from the State University of Londrina and a postgraduate degree in agribusiness from the Federal University of Paraná.
AgriBrasilis – How to reduce the impacts of fires and droughts on pastures?
Luiz Vezozzo – There are many technologies that minimize the effects of fires and droughts in pastures, such as the application of products that promote the nutritional balance of forage, keeping them more robust and “greener”, even in adverse conditions.
AgriBrasilis – Is the use of fire in pastures still a common practice? Why?
Luiz Vezozzo – It is an old and outdated practice that was used due to the lack of appropriate technologies. Many ranchers still believe that by burning the pasture they will be performing an adequate management, with the aim of obtaining regrowth at the beginning of the rainy season.
Because they are unaware that this practice is totally inappropriate and harmful to the soil, livestock farmers mistakenly believe that the pasture regrowth will be more vigorous, coming from the lower parts of the clumps instead of the lateral buds of the stems.
Correct pasture management begins by respecting the grass cycle, keeping animals in limited periods that are sufficient to reduce the height of pastures, not allowing the formation of stems, but only of leaves. The animals must be removed before the pasture begins to grow again, when it must be kept fenced.
“Correct pasture management begins by respecting the grass cycle, keeping animals in limited periods sufficient to reduce the height of pastures, not allowing the formation of stems, but only leaves…”
AgriBrasilis – How much money does the farmer lose because of degraded pastures?
Luiz Vezozzo – The production unit (farm) must be seen as a company and treated professionally.
Degraded pastures are wasteful and not economic. There is no longer room in the production system for this type of production. In addition to the devaluation of their assets, the farmers lose out due to low yield rates, poor use of space, and low profitability of his business. There are several limiting factors that harm performance and reduce profit margins.
AgriBrasilis – You said that “with the right tools, pasture can be a very profitable investment”. What tools are those?
Luiz Vezozzo – Foliar fertilizers, a recognized and widely used tool around the world, are a very viable strategy for pasture management. Low cost and easy to apply, they increase pasture mass yield in addition to providing other benefits. These factors contribute to cattle achieving high levels of production, whether in terms of weight gain or fertility rates.
AgriBrasilis – What policies and incentives promote sustainable practices in pasture management?
Luiz Vezozzo – Campaigns to promote training and technical knowledge, dissemination of information through digital media, dissemination of more viable techniques for farmers through field days, in short, there are many ways to bring technology to farmers. Harvest Agro’s Pasto Forte protocol is one of these solutions, helping farmers to increase their yields, all through technology.
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