Mineral elements in grasses growing in contrasting environmental conditions in southern Patagonia

The importance of grasses and graminoids for sheep nutrition in Argentinean Patagonia is widely recognized. Focusing on sheep nutrition, we assessed the concentration of mineral elements in grasses growing in three ecological areas of southern Patagonia, representing a vegetation and climate gradien...

Full description

Authors: Bahamonde, Héctor Alejandro; Fernández, Victoria; Mattenet, Francisco Javier; Peri, Pablo Luis
Format: Article
Status:Accepted version
Publication date:2016
Country:Argentina
Institution:Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria
Repository:INTA Digital (INTA)
Language:English
OAI Identifier:oai:localhost:20.500.12123/2498
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/2498
https://doi.org/10.1080/00288233.2016.1188132
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Gramíneas Forrajeras
Ovinos
Nutrición Animal
Nutrientes Minerales
Nothofagus
Sistemas Silvopascícolas
Propiedades Físico-Químicas Suelo
Estepas
Steppes
Soil Properties
Silvopastoral Systems
Mineral Nutrients
Animal Nutrition
Sheep
Feed Grasses
Nothofagus Antarctica
Región Patagónica
Summary:The importance of grasses and graminoids for sheep nutrition in Argentinean Patagonia is widely recognized. Focusing on sheep nutrition, we assessed the concentration of mineral elements in grasses growing in three ecological areas of southern Patagonia, representing a vegetation and climate gradient. With the aim of establishing potential relationships, tissue concentrations of several essential and non-essential elements for plants were determined, analyzing also soil properties. Soil and plant tissue mineral element concentrations varied between ecological areas and also depending on the particular element. The results obtained provide novel information about the nutritional characteristics of the main feeding source for sheep in southern Patagonia, but further trials will be required for improving our understanding of mineral element nutrition in relation to sheep production.

Similar Items