Response of forage production to drought in silvopastoral systems in Argentina

An increase in the frequency and intensity of agricultural and ecological droughts is expected. This study aimed to assess the response of annual forage dry matter production (AFP) to drought in 22 sites across Argentina’s silvopastoral systems (SPS) in native forests and forest plantations and compare it to grasslands and treeless pastures. The AFP was evaluated using a one-way ANOVA with a factorial design, considering the productive system (SPS and grassland/treeless pasture) and hydrological condition year (normal and dry) as factors. Mean AFP ranged from 195 kg DM ha−1 yr−1 to 18,520 kg DM ha−1 yr−1. The results showed that AFP varied according to aridity categories, drought intensity, and forage type (grassland and pastures). Under drought intensity ≤ 35