¿Es económicamente costeable la cosecha de semilla de dos especies del género Bouteloua en Cananea Sonora, México?

One of the main limitations for reseeding grasslands in arid and semi-arid areas is the low availability of forage grass seed; however, availability is limited and most of it is imported, making it very expensive. The seed costs of two species of forage grasses navajita (Bouteloua gracilis) and banderilla (Bouteloua curtipendula), harvested during 2022 and 2023 on a livestock farm in Cananea, Sonora, Mexico, were compared with the prices offered by small harvesting companies of local seeds, with prices from seed companies in the United States of America. Seed production and quality were evaluated considering germination, purity, and viability (%). Production, handling, and transportation costs were considered, as well as phytosanitary tests and import customs payments. The results show that the total cost per kg of Pure Live Seed (SPV) averaged $383.95 and $314.19 for navajita and banderilla, respectively, in locally harvested seed was $510.00 and $420.00 per kilogram for navajita and banderilla in regionally acquired seed and $14,283.70 and $11,688.49 for navajita and banderilla in the imported seed, respectively. The quality of seed of local origin is like that of regional and imported seed, which is between 1 to 36 times more expensive compared to local seed. It is concluded that the quantity and quality of seed produced in rangelands of the Sonoran Desert in years of normal rainfall is adequate for the rehabilitation of rangelands. The high profit margins with the harvest and sale of local seed can be an important complementary source of income to increase the profits of livestock producers with limited economic resources. The activity, in addition to increasing producers' profits, allows for the promotion of temporary employment in rural regions.