Irrigação de pastagens tropicais: desafios e perspectivas

Abstract

Livestock grazing is a significant part of the production of milk and beef system in different countries such as Brazil, Pakistan, New Zealand and Australia. In recent years, there is growing interest in the intensification of this production system and irrigation is a practice used in order to increase the production and quality of forage, especially in seasons where seasonality is the main production barrier. In this context, this work gathers information about the importance of pasture irrigation, the main methods and irrigation systems, research results with irrigated forage and emphasizes the importance of knowledge about the ecophysiology and morphogenesis in the management of pastures. The information is presented in an interconnected and critically favoring a more holistic assessment of the adoption methods and irrigation management in pastures. This will put the knowledge available in perspective and serve to highlight important aspects of advance, improvement and growth of knowledge about animal production on irrigated pastures. This information is critical to ensure the supply of beef and milk, whose demand is growing worldwide. However, it emphasizes the need for sustainable practices of use and reuse of water, an increasingly scarce resource in some regions of the planet.