Animal production and soil characteristics from integrated crop-livestock systems: toward sustainable intensification

Abstract Sustainable intensification of land-use practices has never been more important to ensure food security for a growing world population. When combined under thoughtful management, cover cropping and crop-livestock integration under no-till systems can benefit from unexpected synergies due to...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of animal science 2018-07, Vol.96 (8), p.3513-3525
Main Authors: Carvalho, Paulo César de Faccio, Peterson, Caitlin Adair, Nunes, Pedro Arthur de Albuquerque, Martins, Amanda Posselt, de Souza Filho, William, Bertolazi, Vanessa Thoma, Kunrath, Taíse Robinson, de Moraes, Aníbal, Anghinoni, Ibanor
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agricultural ecosystems
Agricultural practices
Agricultural production
Animal production
Animals
Cash crops
Cover crops
Crop rotation
Crops
Crops, Agricultural
Decoupling
Ecosystem
Environmental changes
Food security
Grazing
Herbivory
Land use
Livestock
Luminous intensity
Mimicry
Organic chemistry
Pasture management
Range management
Secondary production
Soil - chemistry
Soil characteristics
Soils
Sustainability
Sustainable Development
Symposia
World population
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Summary:Abstract Sustainable intensification of land-use practices has never been more important to ensure food security for a growing world population. When combined under thoughtful management, cover cropping and crop-livestock integration under no-till systems can benefit from unexpected synergies due to their unique features of plant-animal diversification and complex agroecosystem functions. Mimicking the nutrient coupling/decoupling processes of natural ecosystems by diversifying plant and animal components of no-till integrated crop-livestock operations is an essential feature of the design of agroecological systems that support self-regulating feedbacks and lend resilience while increasing productivity and ecosystem service provision. Focusing on grazing animals as drivers of agroecosystem change, we highlight the benefits of grazed cover crops in rotation with cash crops for primary and secondary production and for soil physical, chemical, and biological parameters. However, careful management of grazing intensity is imperative; overgrazing drives soil deterioration, while light to moderate grazing enhances overall system functioning and allows for the generation of emergent properties.
ISSN:0021-8812
1525-3163
DOI:10.1093/jas/sky085