Monteverde : Ecology and Conservation of a Tropical Cloud Forest

Table 11.3. Portrait of a typical upland dairy farm
in the 1990s.

Herd size

Cow breeds

Feed

Stocking rate

Milking

Farm size

Milk production

Pasture management

Fertility

Mechanization

Labor

Family size

16 cows, 67% of herd in

production

In order of importance:

Holstein, Jersey, Brown

Swiss, Guernsey

Rotational grazing on Star Grass

pasture; 0.5-2.5 kg/day grain;

Elephant or King Grass; salt,

minerals, urea, molasses

1.8 cows/ha

Twice per day

18 ha total, 14 ha in pasture

(CATIE 1983)

10 kg per cow per day

Manual fertilization and liming,

herbicides (CATIE 1983,

Stuckey 1989)

Artificial insemination; birth

rate 58%; calf mortality 8%

(CATIE 1983)

In 1995, 60% of farmers used

milking machines (up from

less than 5% in 1979). Some

farms had electric fencing

and/or a tractor. No farms

had refrigeration (cold water

was used to cool milk).

Mostly family labor supple-

mented by part-time hired

help

4.5 dependents per farm

Data compiled by Juan Jose Monge, Jose Luis Vargas, Joseph Stuckey,

and Katherine Griffith.

by ignoring mechanical factors such as cattle hooves,

but may overestimate erosion by failing to integrate

the effects of rotational grazing and fertilization,

which reduce erosion. Erosion on upland dairy farms,

even those on steep hillsides in high rainfall areas, is

less than that for lower elevation beef and crop pro-

duction (Hartshorn et al. 1982). Research is needed

to determine true erosion rates under pasture manage-

ment systems in the Monteverde milkshed.

Loss of biodiversity. Establishing pastures reduces the

diversity of fauna in the area, although several species

are favored (e.g., Cattle Egrets, Brown Jays). Pastures

that retain some overstory trees attract more wildlife

species than those that have been cleared completely.

Monocultures (single species systems) are more vulner-

able to pests, diseases, and changing environmental

conditions than are polycultures (multiple species sys-

tems; National Research Council 1989,1993). Diversi-

fying forage crops may check pest outbreaks.

Manure management. Improperly handled manure

can be a source of pollution. In the Monteverde up-

land area, most farmers use rotational grazing, which

limits contamination from manure by spreading it

around the fields. Manure may concentrate around

barns where cows spend several hours a day, but

many farmers channel this runoff into pastures.

Pesticide management. Three types of pesticides are

used in dairying: herbicides, pasture insecticides, and

external parasite control substances on cows. Herbi-

cide use on pastures has increased since the 1980s.

Traditionally, weeds were controlled by machete.

Spot spraying of herbicides reduces labor costs while

providing effective control of pasture weeds. Pasture

insecticides are used to combat localized eruptions

of minor pest species and to control infestations

of spittlebugs, primarily in Kikuyu Grass pastures

(Table 11.4; see Peck, "Agroecology of Prosapia,"

pp. 409-410). The localized use and spot spraying

typical of dairy farms means that most problems con-

cern human and domestic animal safety. Neverthe-

less, any pesticide can affect nontarget species (e.g.,

spittlebug predators or parasitoids) that might have

a role in naturally controlling these pests. Further

study is needed to determine the environmental con-

sequences of pesticide use on Monteverde dairy farms.

Major external parasites are ticks and botfly larvae;

these are managed with external chemical controls,

which may be harmful not only to cows and farmers

Table 11.4. Pasture pests of Monteverde.

English Common Name Spanish Common Name Order: Family Scientific Name

Chinch bug

Spittlebug/froghopper

Aphid

White grub

Wire worm

Army worm

Cutworm

Looper

Nematode

Chinche

Salivazo/baba de culebra

Pulgon del pasto, afido

Joboto

Gusano alambre

Gusano cogollero

Gusano cortador

Falso medidor

Nematodo

Hemiptera: Lygaeidae

Homoptera: Cercopidae

Homoptera: Aphididae

Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae

Coleoptera: Elateridae

Lepidoptera: Noctuidae

Lepidoptera: Noctuidae

Lepidoptera: Noctuidae

—

BHssus leucopterus

Aeneolamia postica/

Prosapia spp.

Aphis spp., Sipha spp.

Phyllophaga spp.

Agriotes spp.

Spodoptera frugiperda

Spodoptera spp.

Mods latipes

Meloidogyne spp.

Source: D. Peck (pers. obs.).

395 Agriculture in Monteverde: Moving Toward Sustainability