Tuesday, November 6, 2007
151-2

Integrated Crop-Livestock System: Effect on Soil Compaction and Soil Properties.

Matt W. Maughan and Germán Bollero. University of Illinois @ Urbana-Champaign, 1309 East Jefferey Dr., Mahomet, IL 61853

Integrated crop-livestock systems are a method of diversifying a farm for improved long term sustainability.  Recent research has shown these systems to be beneficial in affecting soil parameters that improve soil quality.  On the contrary, cropland grazing of crop residues and cover crops have reportedly compacted the soil.  A traditional 90 ha corn and soybean farm in Illinois was converted into an integrated crop-livestock system consisting of cash crops, grazed cropland and rotationally stocked pastures.  The cattle are rotationally stock grazed on perennial pastures starting in early spring and ending in the fall. The cattle are then turned onto cropland where they graze throughout the winter months on corn residues left over from corn harvest and on a mature winter forage crop consisting of turnips oats and rye.  The purpose of this research is to determine if cattle introduce soil compaction to the cropland, to quantify the compaction and determine its effect on subsequent grain yields and selected soil properties.  This study assesses soil compaction, and soil microbial biomass carbon as affected by cropping and grazing treatment.

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