Abstract

A. LARSEN, Brenda; J. KRISTENSEN, María  and  E. CONFALONE, Adriana. Implementation of agroecological indicators for environmental diagnosis in a livestock productive facility from the southeast of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Cuban J. Agric. Sci. [online]. 2020, vol.54, n.3, pp.309-322.  Epub Sep 01, 2020. ISSN 0864-0408.

An environmental diagnosis of a livestock facility that raises reproductive cattle in the southeast of Buenos Aires was carried out, during a productive year, to evaluate the effects of agricultural practices and deepen the analysis of wild species diversity. The model designed for the AgroEcoindex® Pampas region was applied, which uses 19 indicators related to energy, nutrients, pollution and erosion, water and intervention. Wild species on the area were listed. Energy indicators showed a critical demand for fossil energy. Consumption was 13 times superior to the negative threshold of the model. Production reached the optimal threshold, but was inefficient. It required five units of energy per unit of generated product. C reserve in soil was reduced, greenhouse gas balance exceeded the negative threshold, as well as the impact on habitat and water intake. Risk of pesticide contamination was critical. There were favorable trends: N and P balance, with an annual increase that was 20 times superior to the threshold, without generating contamination risks, efficiency of water use, rain/ produced energy ratio, erosion risk, habitat intervention and agro-diversity. A richness of 81 plants and 75 animals was registered, not evaluated by the model.

Keywords : agroecosystem; Pampas region; agroecological indicator; sustainable agricultural system.

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