Informe final actividades del wp1 en guatemala en el marco de la iniciativa LCSR
This activity, part of the CGIAR Livestock and Climate initiative, aimed at evaluating the agronomic performance and nutritional quality of commercial grass cultivars in Puerto Barrios, Izabal, Guatemala.
The research objectives included providing local farmers with information on biomass yield and nutritional quality of 7 Urochloa and Megathyrsus grass cultivars and hybrids during rainy and dry seasons and assessing farmers' preferences. The findings revealed that during the first part of the rainy season, Megathyrsus maximus cv. Mombasa and Urochloa brizantha cv. Toledo yielded the highest biomass, whereas Urochloa hybrid Mulato and Megathyrsus maximus cv. Miyagui had lower yields. In the dry season, all grasses experienced reduced yields, with Miyagui and Mulato performing better than the others.
The activity fostered significant inter-institutional collaboration, leading to a formal agreement between the Alliance, the University of Izabal (CUNIZAB) and the University of San Carlos. This partnership has strengthened local capacity and knowledge transfer, benefiting both farmers and students. The Association of Livestock Keepers of Izabal played a crucial role by providing resources and support for the research.
Additionally, the project facilitated collaboration with the International Committee for the Development of Peoples (CISP), resulting in the reprinting of a manual on silvopastoral systems, which was disseminated through workshops for local farmers. The research also served as a training platform for university students.
The project has sparked interest from other organizations, such as The Nature Conservancy, which views the experiences in Izabal as valuable for implementing similar initiatives elsewhere in Guatemala. Looking ahead, identified needs for future CGIAR interventions include promoting sustainable livestock practices, improving governance in the livestock sector, and enhancing climate services and green finance.