The basis of livestock systems in the semiarid is the native pasture of the caatinga. This type of pasture is characterized by the presence of forage plants in the herbaceous, shrub and tree strata. Quantifying the available forage biomass is a very difficult task for producers. Over its 40 years, Embrapa has developed many projects and quantified the production of biomass from the caatinga, qualifying this production in four types: low forage supply, medium forage supply, high forage supply and native grass with buffalo grass. This database was used in the Forage Budget application to quantify the forage biomasses of native pasture.

The next step in forage budgeting is to quantify the flocks present on the property, making it possible for the user to register herds of goats, sheep and cattle, so that the application represents the condition of the flock in the semi-arid rural properties.

Finally, there is the possibility for the user to inform if he has additional sources of fodder to feed the herd. The options available in the application are the most common ones used in the semiarid region: silage, hay, forage palm and grass.

The application then simulates the balance between supply and the need for forage, providing a report that informs how much demand is being met by native pasture. In case of positive forage balance the user can choose to change the amount of animals in the herd. In case of negative forage balance the user can choose to change the size of the herd or to change the supplementary sources of forage.

The application allows the use of native pasture without degrading it and provides information to the user that facilitates the decision-making process regarding the management of forage resources on the property, minimizing risks and maximizing profits.

ATTENTION! AT THIS TIME THE APPLICATION IS AVAILABLE ONLY FOR THE BIOMA CAATINGA, THAT IS, FOR THE STATES OF THE NORTHEAST REGION (EXCEPT MARANHÃO) AND NORTH OF MINAS GERAIS.