The objective of this 2-yr study was to evaluate growing and finishing performance as well as carcass characteristics of spring-born steers backgrounded on 3 different systems, using feedstuffs readily available in the Midwest: 1) grazing corn residue and being supplemented with dried distillers plus solubles at 2.68 kg DM/steer 6 d/wk (RESIDUE), 2) grazing a late summer-planted oat-brassica forage mix (CCROP), or 3) being fed a corn silage-based diet in a drylot (DRYLOT). Steers ( = 715) were stratified by BW (278 kg ± 23 in yr 1 and 291 kg ± 91 in yr 2) and assigned to treatment and replicate (4 replications per treatment per yr). Steers assigned to DRYLOT were fed a corn silage-based diet for 54 d in yr 1 and 52 d in yr 2 before being transitioned to the finishing diet. Steers assigned to RESIDUE and those assigned to CCROP grazed 65 d in yr 1 and 66 d in yr 2 and then were fed a corn silage-based diet for 21 d in yr 1 and 33 d in yr 2 before being transitioned to the finishing diet. During backgrounding, the ADG (SEM 0.022) of steers assigned to DRYLOT (1.48 kg/d) was greater ( < 0.01) than that of steers assigned to both CCROP (1.05 kg/d) and RESIDUE (0.87 kg/d) and ADG of steers assigned to CCROP was greater ( < 0.01) than that of steers assigned to RESIDUE. At the start of the finishing period, BW of steers assigned to CCROP (381 kg) was greater ( < 0.01, SEM 2.5) than that of steers assigned to DRYLOT (361 kg) and RESIDUE (366 kg). The finishing period lasted 160 d for all treatments. Both 12th-rib fat ( = 0.89) and calculated yield grade ( = 0.39) did not differ among treatments. Finishing G:F of steers assigned to DRYLOT (0.162 kg/kg) was greater ( < 0.01, SEM 0.0015) than that of steers assigned to RESIDUE (0.153 kg/kg) and CCROP (0.153 kg/kg), which did not differ ( = 0.79). In yr 1, HCW of steers assigned to CCROP (402 kg) was greater ( < 0.01, SEM 2.1) than that of steers assigned to both RESIDUE (389 kg) and DRYLOT (391 kg), which did not differ ( = 0.40). This difference in HCW is most likely a result of differences in BW at the start of the finishing phase in yr 1. However in yr 2, HCW of steers assigned to CCROP (400 kg) and RESIDUE (397 kg) did not differ ( = 0.26, SEM 2.1) but were greater ( < 0.01) than that of steers assigned to DRYLOT (367 kg), despite the fact that steers assigned to RESIDUE entered the finishing phase at a lighter BW than steers assigned to CCROP. Marbling was greater ( = 0.01, SEM 3.9) for steers assigned to DRYLOT (429) than for steers assigned to RESIDUE (414), although steers assigned to CCROP (424) were not different ( ≥ 0.10) from steers assigned to DRYLOT or RESIDUE. When cost and price scenarios from the last 5 yr were conducted, no treatment appeared to be consistently superior in terms of cost of gain or net return. Therefore, all 3 systems appear to be viable options for producers.

Core Ideas Corn residue grazing had little to no impact on soil health indicators. Residue baling increased wind erosion risks by 22 to 56%. Baling reduced near‐surface soil water content by 8 to 32%. Soil type or precipitation amount did not influence residue removal impacts on soil properties. Residue grazing can be a more sustainable practice than baling Cattle grazing and baling of corn (Zea mays L.) residues are common practices in integrated crop–livestock systems, but their impacts on soil properties are not well understood on a regional scale. We conducted a 3‐yr study across a precipitation gradient (ranging from 400 to 804 mm) in the central Great Plains to evaluate soil compaction, structural quality, water content, fertility, sorptivity, and microbial biomass in response to corn residue grazing and baling. Six on‐farm sites varying in soil texture, organic matter, crop rotation, and irrigation practices were established with three residue treatments: control, grazing, and baling. Sites were predominantly under conservation tillage management. Residue baling reduced residue cover by 57% and residue grazing by 17% relative to the control. At most sites, residue baling reduced near‐surface soil water content by 8 to 32% and increased wind erodible fraction by 22 to 56% compared with the control but grazing generally had no effect. Residue grazing and baling had small or no negative effects on other measured soil properties regardless of soil type or precipitation amount. When changes in soil properties did occur, they were due to differences in grazing duration or agronomic management. For example, grazing during spring at one of the sites increased soil bulk density by 7% (1.17 vs. 1.26 Mg m−3) relative to the control. This short‐term study indicates that residue grazing, in general, does not impact soil properties, but residue baling at high rates (>50%) could increase wind erosion risks and reduce surface soil water content in this region.

Cover crop (CC) grazing can be a strategy to reintegrate livestock with crops, but how this integration affects soils and crop yields is unclear. We studied the impact of cattle grazing an oat (Avena sativa L.) CC in the fall on soil properties of a silt loam in a field-scale irrigated no-till corn (Zea mays L.)-soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] experiment in eastern Nebraska. Each rotation was present each year in two adjacent fields. During the 5-yr study, Field I was grazed two times, and Field II was grazed three times. Grazing occurred on each field every other year. Treatments were arranged in a split-plot design with corn harvest (corn silage and high-moisture corn [HMC]) as main plots with no CC, nongrazed CC, and grazed CC as split plots. Corn silage was harvested 15 d before HMC; HMC was harvested about 25 d before typical corn harvest time. Cover crop grazing reduced aboveground CC biomass without affecting soil penetration resistance, bulk density, aggregate stability, hydraulic properties, organic matter concentration, particulate organic matter concentration, microbial biomass, and corn and soybean yields compared with nongrazed CC. Likewise, compared with no CC, nongrazed CC had no effect except for some improvement in soil microbial properties. However, corn silage harvest negatively affected most nearsurface soil properties but not crop yields compared with HMC. Cover crop did not generally offset the negative impacts of corn silage on soil properties. In conclusion, CC grazing had no impact on soil properties and yields, but corn silage adversely affected soil properties. INTRODUCTIONHistorically, farms were diversified with both crop and livestock production. However, many modern farms, particularly in developed nations, are now specialized to produce only crops or livestock. The current specialization and increased Abbreviations: CC, cover crop; HMC, high-moisture corn; POM, particulate organic matter; SOM, soil organic matter.

Core Ideas Baling of corn residue removed three times more residue than did grazing of residue. Grazing and baling appear to have no impact on subsequent crop yields in flat, high‐yielding fields. Corn (Zea Mays L.) residue can be used by cattle producers as a source of forage that can either be grazed or baled. While many studies have evaluated the impact of baling corn residue on subsequent crops, relatively few have evaluated the effect of grazing of corn residue. An on‐farm multi‐year study (3 or 4 yr) was conducted at six sites in the central United States to determine effects of grazing or baling of corn residue on subsequent grain yield. Most sites were under no‐till management and were irrigated. Some locations were in continuous corn while others were in a corn–corn–soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] or corn–soybean rotation. At each location, there were three corn residue treatments: no bale–no graze (CON), baled (BLD), and grazed (GZD) with two or three replicates per treatment. Baling and grazing management was dictated by the cooperating producer. In the spring, corn residue remaining in the CON (10.17 Mg ha−1) was greater (P < 0.01; SEM ± 0.449) than both GZD (8.68 Mg ha−1) and BLD (3.60 Mg ha−1) with GZD being greater (P < 0.01) than BLD. Residue management did not affect (P ≥ 0.26) subsequent grain yield (corn, soybean, or dry bean [Phaseolus vulgaris L.]). Corn yield ranged from 6.2 to 18.2 Mg ha−1 with a mean of 14.0 Mg ha−1. Results indicate that, in the short term, baling or grazing of corn residue in high grain yielding fields will not negatively impact grain yield but grazing results in less removal of residue than baling.

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