How much cattle can brazil pastures support? An analysis based on “YIELD GAP”

Abstract

The degradation of pastures is one of Brazil's biggest problems today and directly affects the sustainability of livestock. The animal production in a degraded pasture can be six times smaller than a grazing or recovered in good maintenance state. So we can consider that productivity could be increased in pasture areas, and analyze how productivity is limited by biophysical factors (climate, for example) versus management. Using spatial datasets, we compare yield patterns for the pasturelands within regions of similar climate. We use this comparison to evaluate the potential yield obtainable for pasturelands in different climates around the Brazil using the limits of Brazilian biomes. We then compare the actual yields currently being achieved with their ‘potential yield’ to estimate the ‘yield gap’, present spatial datasets of both the potential yields and yield gap patterns for pasturelands around the year 1995 and 2006. This study is intended to be an important new resource for scientists and policymakers alike, helping to more accurately understand spatial variation of yield and agricultural intensification potential, as well as employing these data to better utilize existing infrastructure and optimize the distribution of development and aid capital.