Ecobreves – COLOMBIA: Legume to Counter El Niño

By IPS Correspondents and - - Reprint | | Print |

BOGOTA, Nov 4 2006 (IPS) - Cratylia argentea, a legume that is resistant to prolonged drought and highly nutritious for cattle, could be cultivated by Colombian ranchers to counter the effects of the climate phenomenon known as El Niño, according to the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT). “It is a bush rich in protein, with a high capacity for sprouting during dry periods, replacing part of the commercial concentrates, and maintaining cows' milk production when the weather is too dry or too humid,” Carlos Lascano, a CIAT expert who has been studying the plant for 15 years, told Tierramérica.

He said the legume can adapt to different regions of the country, but is particularly useful along the Atlantic coast, a cattle-raising region that sees long dry periods, which could become worse with El Niño, which is predicted to intensify towards the end of the year.