Pasture cropping: a new approach to integrate crop and livestock farming systems

2009 ◽  
Vol 49 (10) ◽  
pp. 777 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. D. Millar ◽  
W. B. Badgery
Keyword(s):  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Ground Cover ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Perennial Grasses ◽  
Crop Failure ◽  
Gross Margin ◽  
Livestock Farming ◽  
No Till

Pasture cropping is a farmer-initiated concept of sowing a winter active cereal into a summer-active native perennial pasture. Proponents claim that by using pasture cropping they are able to maintain or improve the perennial pasture. Research was carried out on a Bothriochloa macra dominant pasture at Wellington, in the central western slopes of New South Wales, to compare pasture cropping to conventional no-till cropping and pasture only systems under different fertiliser rates and rotations. Key variables for the comparison included forage and crop production, pasture perenniality and ground cover, soil fertility and water use, and profitability. Our results show that pasture cropping can successfully retain perennial grasses and ground cover while still producing profitable cropping and grazing compared with continuous pasture. Crop yields from pasture cropping were less than 65% of those for conventional no-till cropping, which led to conventional no-till cropping having the greatest, but also most volatile, gross margin throughout the experiment. However, the lower input costs associated with pasture cropping reduced the effects of crop failure on farm profit. While soil moisture differences did not occur between treatments during the experiment, soil fertility, especially N, played a major role in determining crop yield. The role of pasture cropping in farming systems is discussed.

scholarly journals No-tillage sorghum and garbanzo yields match or exceed standard tillage yields

2022 ◽  
pp. 112-120
Author(s):  
Jeffrey P. Mitchell ◽  
Anil Shrestha ◽  
Lynn Epstein ◽  
Jeffery A. Dahlberg ◽  
Teamrat Ghezzehei ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
San Joaquin Valley ◽  
Agricultural Water Use ◽  
No Till ◽  
Use Efficiency ◽  
Crop System

To meet the requirements of California's Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, there is a critical need for crop production strategies with less reliance on irrigation from surface and groundwater sources. One strategy for improving agricultural water use efficiency is reducing tillage and maintaining residues on the soil surface. We evaluated high residue no-till versus standard tillage in the San Joaquin Valley with and without cover crops on the yields of two crops, garbanzo and sorghum, for 4 years. The no-till treatment had no primary or secondary tillage. Sorghum yields were similar in no-till and standard tillage systems while no-till garbanzo yields matched or exceeded those of standard tillage, depending on the year. Cover crops had no effect on crop yields. Soil cover was highest under the no-till with cover crop system, averaging 97% versus 5% for the standard tillage without cover crop system. Our results suggest that garbanzos and sorghum can be grown under no-till practices in the San Joaquin Valley without loss of yield.

Developing the role of perennial forages for crop–livestock farms: a strategic multi-disciplinary approach

2014 ◽  
Vol 65 (10) ◽  
pp. 945 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rick S. Llewellyn ◽  
Michael J. Robertson ◽  
Richard C. Hayes ◽  
David Ferris ◽  
Katrien Descheemaeker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Crop Production ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Farming System ◽  
Perennial Grasses ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Perennial Species ◽  
Functional Roles ◽  
Farmer Participatory Research ◽  
Systems Research ◽  
Livestock Farms

Developing new and improved grazing systems for crop–livestock farms where crop production is the major driver of farm management decisions presents a unique research and development challenge. In southern Australia, a substantial proportion of animal production from grazing comes from regions and farms where cropping is the major enterprise. In this paper, we describe a multi-disciplinary farming-systems research approach (EverCrop) aimed at improving farm profitability, risk management and environmental impacts through the development and integration of new grazing options with an emphasis on perennial species. It has been used to analyse and target new opportunities for farmers to benefit from perennial species across dry Mediterranean-type and temperate regions of southern Australia. It integrates field experimentation, on-farm trialling, farmer participatory research, soil–plant–climate biophysical modelling, whole-farm bioeconomic analysis and evaluations of adoptability. Multi-functional roles for summer-active grasses with winter cropping, integration of forage shrubs and establishment of new mixes of perennial grasses in crop rotations to improve farming system performance are identified, along with an analysis of factors likely to affect rate of uptake by farmers.

Soil, water and crop management practices in the dryland farming regions of Turkey

1997 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 130-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Sefik Yesilsoy ◽  
Sabit Ersahin
Keyword(s):  
Crop Production ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Unit Area ◽  
Plant Protection ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Total Production ◽  
Production Methods ◽  
Main Production ◽  
High Yielding Varieties

AbstractTurkey is experiencing pressure to increase crop production per unit area to achieve self-reliance in food supply. The main production concern before 1970 was to increase crop yields to meet the national consumption of an ever-increasing population. During this time the country's capability to produce wheat was insufficient to meet the national demand. After the initiation of the National Wheat Research and Extension Project in 1969 the objectives of wheat production methods were changed to achieve not only higher but more economical yields per unit area. As a result the total area sown to wheat increased by only 9% between 1969 and 1990, whereas yields and total production increased 75 and 90%, respectively. This was due to developing or importing high-yielding varieties adapted to dry areas, increasing use of fertilizers and plant protection chemicals, and timely use of proper tillage made possible with modem equipment. Transferring research results to farmers and exchanging information with international scientists led Turkish scientists to establish the new goal of developing ecologically sound farming systems that could achieve higher, more economical yields per unit area. The key to this approach is to maintain or increase soil organic matter.

Contribution of livestock farming systems to the nitrogen cascade and consequences for farming regions

2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (s1) ◽  
pp. 8-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Cellier ◽  
P. Rochette ◽  
P. Durand ◽  
P. Faverdin ◽  
P. J. Kuikman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Crop Production ◽  
Western Europe ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Livestock Farming ◽  
Livestock Farming Systems ◽  
Animal Density ◽  
Animal Excreta ◽  
Nitrogen Flows

This article describes the nitrogen flows in the environment and points to the specificities of the livestock production. Till the beginning of the 20th century, the symbiotic fixation and the recycling of animal excreta supplied the nitrogen necessary for the fertility of soil. In 1913, the Haber-Bosch process allowed the industrial synthesis of ammonia and made possible the fertilisation without association of crop production with the livestock farming. The efficiency of the nitrogen in livestock farming is low with nearly half or more of the inputs losses to the environment. These losses have diverse impacts that intervene at various spatial scales owing to the nitrogen cascade. Quantitative assessment of nitrogen flows at the scale of regions started in the early 1980s in Western Europe and North America. These studies provided estimates of the spatial variability of nitrogen discharge within a region. They confirmed the differences between areas with a high animal density such as Brittany (western region, France) and other regions. It was also found that the same nitrogenous losses could lead to different levels of environmental impacts according to the sensibility of a given environment and its capacity to cope with nitrogen excess. Climate, soils characteristics, animal density, and proportions of agricultural land under annual and perennial crops are drivers of this sensibility.

scholarly journals Bacterivorous nematodes correlate with soil fertility and improved crop production in an organic minimum tillage system

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan H. Schmidt ◽  
Johannes Hallmann ◽  
Maria R. Finckh
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Biomass ◽  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Tillage Systems ◽  
Minimum Tillage ◽  
Cover Cropping ◽  
Organic Farming Systems

AbstractOrganic farming systems are generally based on intensive soil tillage for seed bed preparation and weed control, which in the long-term often leads to reduced soil fertility. To avoid this, organic farming systems need to adopt conservation agriculture practices, such as minimum tillage and diligent crop rotations. However, minimum tillage generally delays soil warming in spring causing reduced nitrogen mineralization and thus poor plant growth. This negative effect needs to be compensated. We hypothesize that, in a diverse crop rotation, organic minimum tillage based on frequent cover cropping and application of dead mulch will improve soil fertility and thus crop production as confirmed by a number of chemical and biological soil indicators.We made use of two long-term field experiments that compare typical organic plough-based systems (25 cm) with minimum tillage systems (<15 cm) including application of transfer mulch to potatoes. Both tillage systems were either fertilized with compost or equivalent amounts of mineral potassium and phosphate. In 2019, soil samples from both fields were collected and analyzed for soil pH, organic carbon, macro-, micronutrients, microbial biomass, microbial activity and total nematode abundance. In addition, performance of pea in the same soils was determined under greenhouse conditions.Results from the field experiments showed an increase of macronutrients (+52%), micronutrients (+11%), microbial biomass (+51%), microbial activity (+86%), and bacterivorous nematodes (+112%) in minimum tillage compared with the plough-based system. In the accompanying greenhouse bioassay, pea biomass was 45% higher under minimum than under plough tillage. In conclusion, the study showed that under organic conditions, soil fertility can be improved in minimum tillage systems by intensive cover cropping and application of dead mulch to levels higher than in a plough-based system. Furthermore, the abundance of bacterivorous nematodes can be used as a reliable indicator for the soil fertility status.

scholarly journals Bacterivorous Nematodes Correlate with Soil Fertility and Improved Crop Production in an Organic Minimum Tillage System

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (17) ◽  
pp. 6730
Author(s):  
Jan H. Schmidt ◽  
Johannes Hallmann ◽  
Maria R. Finckh
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Biomass ◽  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Microbial Activity ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Mineral Fertilizer ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Minimum Tillage ◽  
Cover Cropping ◽  
Tillage System

Reduced nutrient mineralization rates under minimum tillage are usually compensated by mineral fertilizer application. These, however, cannot be applied in organic farming systems. We hypothesized that an organic minimum tillage system based on frequent cover cropping and application of dead mulch would improve soil fertility and compensate for the potential negative effects of minimum tillage. Two long-term field experiments were set up in 2010 and 2011 to compare plowing versus minimum tillage including the application of transferred mulch. A second factor, the application of compost versus mineral potassium and phosphorus, was also compared. In 2019, soils were analyzed for soil pH, organic carbon, macro- and micronutrients, microbial biomass, microbial activity, and total nematode abundance. In addition, performance of pea in the same soils was determined under greenhouse conditions. Across both experiments, macronutrients (+52%), micronutrients (+11%), microbial biomass (+51%), microbial activity (+86%), and bacterivorous nematodes (+112%) increased in minimum tillage compared to the plow-based system. In the greenhouse, pea biomass was 45% higher in the soil that had been subjected to minimum tillage compared to the plow. In conclusion, soil fertility can be improved in organic minimum tillage systems, which include intensive cover cropping and the application of dead mulch, over plow-based systems.

MIXED FARMING SYSTEMS IN TRANSITION: THE CASE OF FIVE VILLAGES ALONG A RAINFALL GRADIENT IN NORTH-WEST SYRIA

2003 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 109-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. RISCHKOWSKY ◽  
E. F. THOMSON ◽  
R. SHNAYIEN ◽  
J. M. KING
Keyword(s):  
Crop Production ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
National Policy ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Farm Income ◽  
Forage Crops ◽  
Rainfall Gradient ◽  
North West ◽  
Mixed Farming ◽  
The Many

The changes taking place in the mixed farming systems of northwest Syria were examined by re-visiting, in 1996 and 2000, five villages along a rainfall gradient. The villages had been surveyed first in 1977–79. In those villages with moderate rainfall, intensification of crop production, namely a trend towards cereal monoculture and the planting of tree crops, did not lead to specialization in cropping at the expense of sheep ownership. In contrast, households in the areas too dry for most rainfed crops except barley (Hordeum vulgare) were more likely to sell their sheep because they depended heavily on off-farm income. Increases in crop yields were found but these only benefited the families in villages in the higher rainfall zones. Conversely, with the exception of ewe fertility, there was little evidence of improvements in sheep productivity. The mixed farming systems in the five villages sampled are still passing through a period of transition, and the cropping component will undoubtedly continue to change. This is less likely to happen to the small ruminant component in the near future unless the sector is given higher priority in national policy. As a strategy to increase feed production and balance the crop rotations, the prospects for closer crop/livestock integration at the farm level are limited by the many difficulties associated with the introduction of leguminous pasture and forage crops.

scholarly journals Challenges of Smallholder Farming in Ethiopia and Opportunities by Adopting Climate-Smart Agriculture

Agriculture ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 192
Author(s):  
Gebeyanesh Zerssa ◽  
Debela Feyssa ◽  
Dong-Gill Kim ◽  
Bettina Eichler-Löbermann
Keyword(s):  
Land Tenure ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Mitigation ◽  
Extreme Weather Events ◽  
Smallholder Farming ◽  
Smallholder Farming Systems ◽  
Smart Agriculture

Agriculture is the backbone of the Ethiopian economy, and the agricultural sector is dominated by smallholder farming systems. The farming systems are facing constraints such as small land size, lack of resources, and increasing degradation of soil quality that hamper sustainable crop production and food security. The effects of climate change (e.g., frequent occurrence of extreme weather events) exacerbate these problems. Applying appropriate technologies like climate-smart agriculture (CSA) can help to resolve the constraints of smallholder farming systems. This paper provides a comprehensive overview regarding opportunities and challenges of traditional and newly developed CSA practices in Ethiopia, such as integrated soil fertility management, water harvesting, and agroforestry. These practices are commonly related to drought resilience, stability of crop yields, carbon sequestration, greenhouse gas mitigation, and higher household income. However, the adoption of the practices by smallholder farmers is often limited, mainly due to shortage of cropland, land tenure issues, lack of adequate knowledge about CSA, slow return on investments, and insufficient policy and implementation schemes. It is suggested that additional measures be developed and made available to help CSA practices become more prevalent in smallholder farming systems. The measures should include the utilization of degraded and marginal lands, improvement of the soil organic matter management, provision of capacity-building opportunities and financial support, as well as the development of specific policies for smallholder farming.

Traditional Tillage Systems as Drought Adaptation Strategies of Smallholder Farmers: The Case of Semi-Arid Central Tanzania

2009 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 191-207 ◽  
Author(s):  
Riziki S. Shemdoe ◽  
Idris S. Kikula ◽  
Patrick Van Damme
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Crop Yield ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Weed Species ◽  
Tillage Practices ◽  
No Till ◽  
Selection Of

This article presents local knowledge on ecosystem management by analyzing and discussing traditional tillage practices applied by smallholder farmers as a response to drought risks in dryland areas of Mpwapwa District, central Tanzania. Farming activities in the area wholly depend on rain-fed systems. Information from key informants and in-depth household interviews indicate that farmers in this area use three different traditional tillage practices—no-till (sesa), shallow tillage (kutifua), and ridges (matuta). Available information suggests that selection of a particular practice depends on affordability (in terms of costs and labor requirements), perceived ability to retain nutrient and soil-water, and improvement of control of erosion and crop yield. In this area, smallholder farmers perceive no-till practice to contribute to more weed species, hence more weeding time and labor are needed than in the other two practices. The no-till practice also contributes to low soil fertility, low soil moisture retention, and poor crop yield. No plans have been made to introduce irrigation farming in these marginal areas of central Tanzania. Thus, improving the ability of the tillage practices to conserve soil moisture and maintain soil fertility nutrients using locally available materials are important tasks to be carried out. This will ensure the selection of practices that will have positive influence on improved crop yields in the area.

scholarly journals WAYS TO PRESERVE SOIL FERTILITY BASED ON AGROLANDSCAPE

AGROFOR ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna LINKINA ◽  
Elena NEDICOVA
Keyword(s):  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Soil Quality ◽  
Wind Erosion ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Humus Content ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Nutrient Elements ◽  
Agricultural Lands ◽  
Agricultural Enterprises

As it is known, fertility is the most important property of soils to meet the needs ofplants in nutrient elements, moisture or air and to provide conditions for theirnormal life. It is clear that yield of crops depends on soil quality. That is why thepreservation of fertility is an important task in the implementation of agriculturalproduction. Agrolandscape systems based on environmental based should beintroduced in agriculture to solve the problem of preventing the degradation ofsoils, reducing water and wind erosion. Principles and methodology of landscapeplanning can be successfully adopted in farming systems that combine highenvironmental and economic indicators. During the years with unfavorableconditions such as drought or excessive moisture in farms with adaptive farmingthe yield is 30 % higher than in agricultural enterprises with the traditional farmingsystem. The article discussed that the minimum value of the environmentstabilizingfarm land agrolandscapes should not exceed 40% of the total land. Theconducted experiments proved that the humus content in the households underconsideration was increased by 0.24%. Average crop yields in the years withunfavorable weather conditions in the test farm (Kantemirovsky District, Voronezhregion) are the following: grains 29 dt/ ha, sunflower 24 dt/ha, and forKantemirovsky District, on average, 19.4 dt/ha and 17 dt/ha respectively. Stabilityof agrolandscapes depends on correlation between sustainable and destruct lands.Percentage ratio of agricultural lands for the sustainable agrolandscapes isdetermined.

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