Bovine milk and meat systems production in the Province of Buenos Aires conserve soil nutrients?

Abstract

A sustainable agricultural production must be compatible with the conservation of natural resources, including soil. A necessary objective is the conservation of soil nutrients, which is influenced by the production model made. In Buenos Aires there are few studies that analyze the nutrient balance of bovine meat and milk production, despite occupying 54% of its surface. In part this is because livestock is associated with improvement in soil fertility, although this may be masking a decrease nutrient reservoir. In this paper the impact of the production of meat and milk in the conservation of soil nutrients in the province of Buenos Aires was evaluated. The nutrients balance (N, P, K, Ca, S) was analyzed in milk (PL) and meat production (PC). PL was more extractive per hectare in all the nutrients than PC. In both activities nutrient balance was positive in N and P and negative in K, Ca and S. PC generated the major total excesses and total deficit. Biological fixation was the main entrance in N and fertilization in P. N excess were observed throughout the whole province while in P only in the area with more dairy farms and fattening cattle. To achieve milk and meat productions sustainability replenishing K, Ca and S is need across all the province and P in much of the same.