Producción hidropónica de forraje verde de Hordeum vulgare y desempeño productivo de Cavia porcellus

Abstract

Context: The production of guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus) constitutes a livestock activity of growing importance in the food security of Latin America, particularly in Andean countries such as Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Colombia. Objective: To evaluate a hydroponic green forage (HGF) system of Hordeum vulgare through structural design, seed requirement modeling, and its application in the rearing of Cavia porcellus in Tacna, Peru. Methodology: A completely randomized design with two treatments and three replications was employed, using 18 guinea pigs. The experimental treatment received barley HGF plus commercial concentrate, while the control was fed alfalfa plus commercial concentrate. Forage yield and animal productive performance were evaluated. Results: The HGF achieved an average yield of 6 kg/kg of seed. Furthermore, the HGF treatment showed a higher daily weight gain (16.56 g/day) compared to the control (13.23 g/day), with significant differences (p = 0.034). Conclusions: It is concluded that barley HGF constitutes a viable alternative for feeding guinea pigs under arid conditions.