Trees That Feed Livestock and Strengthen Resilience in the Dry Tropics

• The graduation research of Darwin Fabian Lombo Ortiz, a CATIE graduate, provides key scientific evidence to improve livestock feeding and address the effects of drought in Latin America.

The availability of forage in both quantity and quality remains one of the greatest challenges for livestock production in the dry tropics, particularly for small and medium-scale producers affected by increasingly intense droughts. Taking this issue as a starting point, Darwin Fabian Lombo Ortiz, graduate of the Master’s Program in Agroforestry and Sustainable Agriculture at CATIE (Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center), developed research aimed at generating practical solutions through agroforestry.

His study evaluated biomass production and the resprouting capacity of trees dispersed in pastures used for cattle feeding in Belén, Rivas (Nicaragua), providing key information for the sustainable management of silvopastoral systems.

The research identified Cordia dentata and Pithecellobium dulce as species with high forage potential, recording the highest yields of edible biomass and resprouting capacity. These results provide a scientific basis for improving the resilience of livestock systems in the face of climate variability, while underscoring the importance of integrating ecological and functional criteria in the selection of tree species.

Darwin highlights that the tools acquired during the master’s program—from field experimental design to data analysis—were fundamental to the rigorous development of his research. In addition, the work was conducted within the framework of the international project FUNCiTREE, with the participation of institutions from Europe, Africa, and Latin America, an articulation facilitated by CATIE and its global research network.

“The Master’s Program in Agroforestry and Sustainable Agriculture at CATIE is an international benchmark. Its focus on high-impact research and knowledge extension transforms the quality of life of producers, society, and natural resources,” Darwin states.

After graduating, Darwin currently serves as Master Researcher in Tropical Agroforestry at AGROSAVIA (Colombia) and is pursuing a Ph.D. in Ecology at the Universidade Federal de Viçosa (Brazil), consolidating a professional trajectory that reflects how education at CATIE opens academic and professional opportunities at the international level.

CATIE’s International Academic Master’s Program in Agroforestry and Sustainable Agriculture trains professionals capable of designing, researching, and implementing sustainable solutions for territories.

Enrollment is open year-round. Start your application process here: https://www.catie.ac.cr/maestria-academica-internacional-en-agroforesteria-y-agricultura-sostenible/

You can read the full research by Darwin Fabian Lombo Ortiz, CATIE graduate, at: https://repositorio.catie.ac.cr/handle/11554/5117