Environmental and edaphic variables effects on morphogenesis forage production and nutritional quality of an introduced pasture and the natural pastureland of Southern Santa Cruz

The introduction of pastures is a valid management alternative that, among other benefits, allows to palliate the pasture fodder deficit and increase the mowing productive in the area. Nevertheless, for a proper and sustainable use of the resource, knowledge of the processes involved is required. Under this context, a study has been developed with the purpose of evaluating the growth dynamic of the pasture Agropyron trichophorum and Agropyron intermedium on dryland located at Experimental Field “Potrok Aike”, southern Santa Cruz. In this work, morph-genetic and structural variables were measured, as well as the climatic and edaphic effects on them. The results obtained showed that, while the temperature is the determinant factor in the growth dynamic of the vegetation, the hydric content of the soil plays a fundamental role in the previously described process, limiting in many cases the foliar elongation of plants and the availability of nutrients. On the other hand, it was evidenced that the introduced forage species in the pasture, allow efficient use of the available natural resources, obtaining more aerial biomass in relation to the natural pasture and that their availability is strongly influenced by the climatic conditions, which determine the optimum moment of harvesting