The meeting was convened by the coordinator of activity 2.1, Dr. Fernando Lattanzi. The objective of the virtual meeting was to learn about the progress that each country has made in the second half of 2021 and the first half of 2022, regarding sampling and data analysis associated with biological nitrogen fixation by legumes in pastures.
Argentina has begun to take samples of plant biomass and soil, in pastures improved and not improved with Lotus tenuis, from halomorphic and hydromorphic soils of the Pampa Depressed. They have carried out summer and autumn sampling. The candidacy work for the doctorate degree of the University of Buenos Aires of Lic. Mercedes Busto, associated with the subject, has been approved by the Academic Commission of the Alberto Soriano Engineering Graduate School (FAUBA).
Brazil was able to move forward with work. In Minas Gerais and the south of the country, samples were taken of forage peanuts and other species. They have presented three postgraduate theses on the subject and in 2023 they will finish two postgraduate projects.
Uruguay carried out a survey at the national level to evaluate biological nitrogen fixation at a certain time of the year. They also quantified annual nitrogen inputs from alfalfa in dairy and beef production systems. To date, they have obtained several results, including natural fields improved with legumes. Among other variables, they evaluated a nitrogen nutrition index in fabaceae and grasses. The work carried out on alfalfa and different species of the Lotus genus stand out. This year they will formulate products with results obtained by their trials. In addition, since 2021 they have coordinated joint work with IPTA-Paraguay and INIAP-Ecuador, to evaluate biological nitrogen fixation from samples collected in Paraguay and Ecuador.
Paraguay has carried out plant biomass and soil sampling in December 2021 and will continue with the sampling during 2023. Meanwhile, Ecuador has also carried out sampling in pastures with Lolium, Kikuyu and Trifolium repens. Finally, the Dominican Republic will begin sampling pastures with Arachis pintoi, Brachiaria and Desmodium in 2022.
