Botanical knowledge and practices involved in the feeding of goats in times of scarcity: Traditions preserved by goat farmers in the Arid Chaco of Catamarca, Argentina

Background and aims: Different ethnobotanical studies carried out in livestock systems in Argentina have highlighted the importance of the knowledge that Criollo goat farmers have about the plants in their environment. The aim of this study was to document the knowledge that goat farmers have about...

Descripción completa

Guardado en:
Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Quiroga, Alejandro, Trillo, Cecilia
Formato: Artículo revista
Lenguaje:Español
Publicado: Sociedad Argentina de Botánica 2022
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://revistas.unc.edu.ar/index.php/BSAB/article/view/37645
Aporte de:
Descripción
Sumario:Background and aims: Different ethnobotanical studies carried out in livestock systems in Argentina have highlighted the importance of the knowledge that Criollo goat farmers have about the plants in their environment. The aim of this study was to document the knowledge that goat farmers have about the plants used in the supplementation of goats under extensive management in the Arid Chaco of Catamarca and to analyse the traditional practices involved in the management of these forage resources. M&M: Open and semi-structured interviews to 17 key informants of both sex were held in 12 localities distributed in different environments that make up the Arid Chaco. In addition, guided walks with local goat farmers, dedicated to the extensive breeding of Criollo goats, took place. Results: Twenty-eight vascular plant species used in five different supplementation strategies were identified. Ethnobotanical data are provided about the name of the plants, parts used in goat supplementation, place and form of collection, mode of transport and conditioning, time of use and category of supplemented animals. Conclusions: It is expected that the rich ethnobotanical knowledge provided by goat farmers will contribute to refine future feeding of goats strategies in times of scarcity and the conservation of native forages used in these traditional practices.