Nitrogen content in soils of silvopastoril systems of Prosopis spp. from the Paraguayan Central Chaco

Abstract

Silvopasture allows the diversification of production and the increase of economic, social and environmental benefits for land users, since it is an integrated management of trees, pasture and livestock, which constitutes one of the best options to be implemented in the Paraguayan Chaco, due to livestock and an existing forest structure. This research was carried out in private properties in the Departments of Boquerón and Presidente Hayes, in the Western Region of Paraguay, with the objective of determining the nitrogen content in the soil of silvopastoral systems associated with Prosopis spp. (carob tree). Eight plots of 1.0 ha each were established, in which all the carob trees were measured for the estimation of forest biomass, from samples of pastures under and outside the canopy of the trees where, in addition, soil samples were extracted at depths of 0-10 cm and 10-30 cm to determine the nitrogen content, estimated from soil organic matter. In the forest inventories, individuals of the Fabaceae family were identified, followed by the Apocynaceae, Bignonaceae, Capparaceae, Rhamnaceae, Sapotaceae and Zhygophyllacea families, with the Prosopis genus (carob) being the most abundant, associated with pastures of Megathyrsus maximus, Digitaria decumbens and Cenchrus ciliaris species. It is concluded that there are no significant differences in nitrogen content in the soils of silvopastoral systems between the two conditions of insolation studied, but between the two depths, concentrating in the first 10 centimeters.