Stover as a core element of forage resilience: Synthetic indices and livestock productivity in Frailesca, Chiapas, Mexico

Abstract

Background. Corn stover functions as a temporary agroecosystem in the Frailesca region of Chiapas and represents a strategic resource to sustain livestock during prolonged dry periods. Objective. To characterize the forage resilience of the stover-based temporary agroecosystem in Frailesca, Chiapas, through the construction and application of synthetic indices, and to analyze its relationship with livestock productivity in order to identify the factors that determine its functional stability and guide its sustainable management. Methodology. Sixty agricultural, livestock, and mixed production units were evaluated in the municipalities of Villaflores, Villa Corzo, and La Concordia through semi-structured interviews and production records that integrated 84 variables from both the crop and livestock subsystems. Three synthetic indices were constructed: the Forage Resilience Index (FRI), which expresses the effective availability of biomass; the Adjusted Forage Resilience Index (FRIadj), which incorporates off-farm access and stocking rate; and the Seasonal Resilience Index (SRI), which reflects the temporal orientation of the resource. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation analyses, and generalized linear regression models (GLM Gamma-log). Results. Bale storage and access to external stover areas were the main determinants of resilience, whereas animal density and days of stover availability during the dry season were not significant. Increases in FRIadj were associated with higher meat and milk yields, which confirms this index as an operational indicator of resilience. Implications. Livestock resilience in the Frailesca region depends less on the total amount of stover and more on its management through storage and territorial exchange networks. The FRIadj provides a practical tool for evaluating forage stability and anticipating meat and milk productivity, offering theoretical, methodological, and applied bases to strengthen the sustainability of tropical agroecosystems. Conclusions. Forage resilience in the Frailesca region relies primarily on bale storage and access to external stover sources, rather than on traditional variables such as animal density or gross availability. These results highlight that livestock stability during the dry season depends on active resource management and on the territorial organization of producers.