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Publication
Effects of indigenous laying hens on soil properties
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Abstract(s)
A agricultura biológica tem crescido de forma significativa nos últimos anos. Provavelmente devido a este crescimento, às dinâmicas de mercado e às barreiras existentes na regulamentação deste modo de produção, as explorações biológicas em geral tendem a especializar a sua produção na produção agrícola ou na produção animal, de forma exclusiva - uma característica típica dos sistemas convencionais que pode comprometer a sustentabilidade dessas explorações. Este trabalho pretende avaliar os potenciais benefícios de integrar em sistemas biológicos a produção animal com a produção vegetal, nomeadamente de galinhas poedeiras. Numa primeira parte foi feita uma revisão da literatura existente relativamente aos benefícios e desafios de integrar galinhas poedeiras em sistemas de produção mista. Enquanto numa segunda parte estudou-se concretamente os efeitos da integração destes animais nas características físicas, químicas e biológicas do solo. A literatura existente faz-nos crer que sistemas móveis, que obriguem à circulação dos animais pelos diferentes espaços da exploração, conferindo uma melhor distribuição dos dejectos, e a integração desses sistemas com espécies florestais ou frutícolas, poderão apresentar melhores resultados, contribuindo para a sustentabilidade destes sistemas mistos. No que diz respeito aos efeitos dos animais nos solos, os resultados obtidos parecem indicar que a presença das galinhas contribui significativamente para a melhoria da fertilidade dos solos, quer pelo aumento da quantidade de nutrientes, quer pelo aumento de populações microbianas, fundamentais nos processos biológicos dos solos, principalmente no modo de produção biológico.
Palavras-Chave: Integração animal-planta; Galinhas autóctones; Agricultura Biológica; Fertilidade dos solos; Sustentabilidade
Organic farming has grown significantly in the past years. Probably due to this growth, the market dynamics, and the regulation barriers, organic farms, in general, tend to specialize their production exclusively in crop production or in animal production - a typical characteristic of conventional systems that can compromise the sustainability of these farms. This work aims to evaluate the potential benefits of integrating animal production, namely laying hens, with crop production. In the first part, a review of the existing literature was made to focus on the benefits and challenges of integrating laying hens in mixed production systems. While in the second part were studied the effects of integrating these animals on the physical, chemical, and biological properties of soil. The prevailing literature leads us to believe that mobile systems, which require the movement of animals through different areas of the farm, leading to a better excreta distribution, and integrations with forest or fruit species might present better results, contributing to the sustainability of these mixed systems. Concerning the effects of animals on soils, the results obtained seem to indicate that the presence of hens significantly contributes to the improvement of soil fertility, either by increasing the amount of nutrients or by increasing microbial populations, which are fundamental in soil biological processes, especially in organic farming. Keywords: Crop-livestock integration; Indigenous hens; Organic farming; Soil fertility; Sustainability
Organic farming has grown significantly in the past years. Probably due to this growth, the market dynamics, and the regulation barriers, organic farms, in general, tend to specialize their production exclusively in crop production or in animal production - a typical characteristic of conventional systems that can compromise the sustainability of these farms. This work aims to evaluate the potential benefits of integrating animal production, namely laying hens, with crop production. In the first part, a review of the existing literature was made to focus on the benefits and challenges of integrating laying hens in mixed production systems. While in the second part were studied the effects of integrating these animals on the physical, chemical, and biological properties of soil. The prevailing literature leads us to believe that mobile systems, which require the movement of animals through different areas of the farm, leading to a better excreta distribution, and integrations with forest or fruit species might present better results, contributing to the sustainability of these mixed systems. Concerning the effects of animals on soils, the results obtained seem to indicate that the presence of hens significantly contributes to the improvement of soil fertility, either by increasing the amount of nutrients or by increasing microbial populations, which are fundamental in soil biological processes, especially in organic farming. Keywords: Crop-livestock integration; Indigenous hens; Organic farming; Soil fertility; Sustainability
Description
Keywords
Crop-livestock integration Indigenous hens Organic farming Soil fertility Sustainability