Abstract
Integration of crops and livestock could provide benefits to both crop and livestock production systems, as well as provide economic opportunities and environmental protection. We are currently in the middle of a multi-year study to evaluate the impacts of tillage, cover crop management, and timing of grazing animals on crop and livestock production characteristics. With soil organic matter at a high level following termination of perennial pasture, we determined crop yield and animal production during the first three growing seasons of two cropping systems (sorghum/rye and wheat/pearl millet) managed under conventional tillage (CT) or no tillage (NT) and whether cover crop was grazed by cattle or not. Sorghum grain yield during the first year (52% of normal precipitation) was lower under NT (10 bu/acre) than under CT (20 bu/acre). Wheat grain yield in 2003 (39 bu/acre) and sorghum grain yield in 2003 (63 bu/acre) were unaffected by tillage regime and whether previous cover crop was grazed by cattle or not. Ungrazed cover crop biomass production was 12% greater under NT than CT for millet in 2002, 23% greater under NT than CT for rye in 2003, and 82% greater under NT than CT for millet in 2003. Cattle live-weight gain was not statistically different between tillage systems, but average daily gains were 0.5 + 0.2 lb/day greater under NT than under CT during the first three growing seasons. Results are yet incomplete to make a systemlevel assessment, but these initial results suggest that (1) NT is preserving the benefits of longterm accumulation of organic matter following perennial pasture and (2) no negative effect of cattle grazing cover crops is being carried over to subsequent grain crops. INTRODUCTION Soil organic matter is a critical component in maintaining soil quality in the southeastern USA. Pastures are known to improve soil organic C and N, which leads to retention of organically-bound nutrients and improved water relations. Cropping systems that are appropriate in this region under conditions of high soil organic matter have not been evaluated since much of the cropland has been stripped of soil organic matter from previous degradative cropping practices. Crop productivity response to tillage management following pasture termination may be significantly different than following a previously degraded land usage due to the presence of a large storage of nutrients, soil biological potential, and improved physical structure. Climatic conditions in the Southern Piedmont are characterized by high precipitation-to-potential evapotranspiration during the winter growing season, but low precipitation-to-potential evapotranspiration during the summer growing season. The impact of time of grain cropping (i.e., spring versus summer) on grain yield, forage availability, and soil properties has not been well described, especially under conditions of initially high soil organic matter following pasture. Under a potentially double-cropping environment in the southeastern USA, a cover crop following grain cropping could provide high-quality forage to supplement shortages in supply from perennial pastures.
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Claims 8
Claim · model-written summary
First year sorghum yield was lower under no tillage than conventional tillage, 10 versus 20 bu/acre.
- Treatment
- NTe0
- Outcome
- grain yielde0
- Direction
- lowere0
- Value
- 10 bu/acree0
- Qualifier
- 20 bu/acree0
- Comparator
- CTe0
SorghumOrganisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Sorghum grain yield during the first year (52% of normal precipitation) was lower under NT (10 bu/acre) than under CT (20 bu/acre)”
Claim · model-written summary
Wheat grain yield in 2003 was 39 bu/acre and unaffected by tillage or prior grazing.
- Taxon
- Wheat
Triticum aestivume0 - Treatment
- tillage regimee0
- Outcome
- grain yielde0
- Direction
- unaffectede0
- Value
- 39 bu/acree0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Wheat grain yield in 2003 (39 bu/acre) and sorghum grain yield in 2003 (63 bu/acre) were unaffected by tillage regime and whether previous cover crop was grazed by cattle or not”
Claim · model-written summary
Sorghum grain yield in 2003 was 63 bu/acre and unaffected by tillage or prior grazing.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Wheat grain yield in 2003 (39 bu/acre) and sorghum grain yield in 2003 (63 bu/acre) were unaffected by tillage regime and whether previous cover crop was grazed by cattle or not”
Claim · model-written summary
Ungrazed millet biomass was 12% greater under no tillage in 2002.
Verbatim
e0“Ungrazed cover crop biomass production was 12% greater under NT than CT for millet in 2002”
Claim · model-written summary
Ungrazed rye biomass was 23% greater under no tillage in 2003.
- Taxon
- rye
Secale cerealee0 - Treatment
- NTe0
- Outcome
- cover crop biomass productione1
- Direction
- greatere0
- Value
- 23%e0
- Comparator
- CTe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“23% greater under NT than CT for rye in 2003”
e1“Ungrazed cover crop biomass production”
Claim · model-written summary
Ungrazed millet biomass was 82% greater under no tillage in 2003.
Verbatim
e0“82% greater under NT than CT for millet in 2003”
e1“Ungrazed cover crop biomass production”
Claim · model-written summary
Authors suggest no tillage preserves organic matter benefits after pasture.
- Outcome
- benefits of longterm accumulation of organic mattere0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“NT is preserving the benefits of longterm accumulation of organic matter following perennial pasture”
e1“two cropping systems (sorghum/rye and wheat/pearl millet)”
Claim · model-written summary
Authors suggest grazing cover crops does not harm later grain crops.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“no negative effect of cattle grazing cover crops is being carried over to subsequent grain crops”
e1“two cropping systems (sorghum/rye and wheat/pearl millet)”
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