Desenvolvimento de uma ferramenta digital para estimativa da biomassa de forragem em propriedades rurais do Ceará

Abstract

Livestock plays an essential role in the socioeconomic development of the Brazilian Semi-Arid region, where the raising of cattle, sheep, and goats is widely practiced. However, the activity faces challenges such as the seasonality of forage production, edaphoclimatic limitations, and the scarcity of technologies applied to herd feeding planning. In this context, the use of tools that help producers balance the demand and supply of feed on the property becomes essential. The objective of the present study was to develop an interactive dashboard in Microsoft Excel to carry out tactical feeding planning (medium-term forage budgeting) on rural properties, based on data from dairy hubs in the state of Ceará. The dashboard was built from a database containing biomass information of strategic forage resources for the eight dairy hubs of Ceará, such as buffel grass, forage cactus, and native pasture, in addition to data on herd feed consumption, considering species, category, body weight, and number of animals. The tool allows the user to input the area size (ha) for each type of forage resource and herd characteristics, and as a result, the tool generates an estimate of the total forage biomass, the annual dry matter intake, and the carrying capacity of the property. The results are presented in an intuitive and visual way, making interpretation easier for users. The system validation demonstrated its practical usefulness, allowing the identification of scenarios in which the property’s carrying capacity is below, adequate, or above the recommended level. It is concluded that the dashboard is a promising and accessible tool for forage management, contributing to the rational use of resources, the improvement of the herds’ zootechnical performance, and the sustainability of production systems.