Soybean yield in integrated crop–livestock system in comparison to soybean–maize succession system

Abstract

Among integrated crop–livestock systems, forage succession is an advantageous strategy for the use of pasture to feed cattle in periods of low rainfall, as well as for the generation of biomass for the no-till system for the next crop. Different species have different abilities to accumulate nutrients in their biomass, which are then released into the soil through the decomposition of crop residues. This study aimed to evaluate soybean yield in an integrated crop–livestock system in comparison to soybean–maize succession system through the production, decomposition and nutrient accumulation in the biomass. The experiment had a randomized block design with four replicates. The treatments were three cropping systems: integrated crop–livestock with Paiaguas palisadegrass (Brachiaria brizantha cv. BRS Paiaguas), integrated crop–livestock with Tamani guinea grass (Panicum maximum cv. BRS Tamani) and maize grown in succession to soybean. The results showed that the use of the integrated crop–livestock system in the form of forage succession provided greater soil cover and nutrient cycling as a result of the better utilization of the animal's excreta, than the cropping of maize in succession and resulted in higher soybean productivity, thus contributing to agricultural sustainability. Paiaguas palisadegrass and Tamani guinea grass showed a C:N ratio greater than 30:1, indicating slow decomposition of plant residues. The forages accumulated amounts of nutrients in their biomass that met the soybean demand, resulting in higher grain yield.

Modeling and quantification of soil compaction promoted by animal trampling in an integrated crop–livestock system

“…This is because when the forage supply is appropriate for the number of animals, there is less grazing time and fewer animal steps per area (P. C. F. Carvalho et al, 2018). Notably, the average occupancy in the period during which the animals remained in the pasture was 2.4 AU ha -1 , a stocking rate at least two-fold higher than that found for Brazilian livestock (Muniz et al, 2022) and with several benefits to the soybean crop when applied in succession (M. B. C. Dias et al, 2020;Muniz et al, 2021). It is therefore a technically feasible, economically profitable, and environmentally sustainable production system (M. B. C. Dias et al, 2021).…”

“…The integrated crop-livestock systems (ICL) are a way to increase competitiveness and sustainability in rural properties through the synergism between these two activities. These systems aim to diversify land use with annual crops for grain production and pastures in succession for meat and milk production (Muniz et al, 2021;Simões et al, 2023;Silva et al, 2023). However, although this production technology is accessible in several modalities (Linhares et al, 2020;Torino et al, 2020), many farmers and ranchers still do not adopt it.…”

“…This is because the water content of the soil is the factor that governs the amount of deformation that may occur, reducing the load bearing capacity of the soil with its increment (Severiano et al, 2011). However, the modality emerging in Brazil includes the cultivation of soybeans (spring/summer) and some forage plants (summer/autumn) in the rainy season, with animal grazing throughout the off-season, a period characterized by dry winters (M. B. C. Dias et al, 2020;Muniz et al, 2021).…”

Decomposition of sorghum, grass, and sorghum intercropped with grass and soybean performance in integrated systems in the Cerrado

“…Decomposition dynamics of plant residues in tropical regions is essential due to the high temperatures that greatly accelerate this process (Muniz et al, 2021). The quantity of plant residues left on the soil -and its quality -must be considered when choosing the integrated crop systems since they influence the process of decomposition (Catuchi et al, 2019;Carvalho et al, 2023), improve soil physical and biological conditions, as well as facilitate nutrient cycling (Soares et al, 2019;Soratto et al, 2019).…”

Integrated vs. Specialized Farming Systems for Sustainable Food Production: Comparative Analysis of Systems’ Technical Efficiency in Nebraska

“…Sustainable intensification of food production is intended to increase resource-use efficiency while reducing agricultural land area expansion [4]. The latter creates an opportunity for the re-integration of crops and livestock enterprises as a promising transition pathway in agricultural production; these systems provide several advantages for nutrient cycling [5], and they deliver ecosystem services by improving ecological processes [6]. The main objective of this paper is to evaluate technical efficiency (TE) of integrated crop-livestock systems (ICLS) compared to specialized systems (SS)-livestock-specialized and crop-specialized.…”