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Cattle production in the humid lowland tropics has been criticised for its extensive management system, low productivity and high burden on the environment. Dual-purpose cattle production systems have been preferred by small and medium sized farms in such regions due to low capital and technical demands with low risk for farmers. Intensification of existing dual-purpose cattle farms has been recognized as a key target to reduce deforestation in Central America. However, the details of complex farming systems using seasonal cattle movement as well as diversified grazing lands with pasture and naturally regenerated trees are not well known. The objective of the chapter is to examine dual-purpose cattle production systems with regard to herd management, productivity and land use pattern. Seventy-four farms in the semi-humid region of central Nicaragua were seasonally monitored and relations with land use patterns were examined. The study results showed that grazing lands were largely covered by tree cover (23% on average). Although cattle were frequently moved from and to the farms, stocking rates did not differ by season (P<0.05), suggesting that seasonal cattle movement towards more humid area is limited. The maintained stocking rates as well as significantly higher occurrences of calving (P<0.05) seemed to cause serious fodder shortage for cattle in the dry season, resulting in lower saleable milk production per cow and per hectare (P<0.01) and a tendency to have higher adult mortality rates. However, milk production per farm was not reduced in the dry season due to the larger number of calving. Fodder availability in the dry season significantly restricts potential of milk production. Smaller farms tend to have higher stocking rates and overgrazed, while some farms started introducing cut and carry system maintaining their pasture resources. Farms with higher financial resource improve their pasture, but shift their production types to steer rearing which requires less labour inputs. The study concluded that shortage of dry season fodder, lack of calving control, and reluctance to increase payment for labour are the main obstacles for environmentally sound intensification of dual-purpose cattle farms. Further research is recommended on improvement of calving control, fodder availability in the dry season, the feasibility of pasture improvement, cattle movement and sharing system, and relations between farm manager and paid labour. © 2008 Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.Full text 0C
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