Livestock/Perennial grass/Row crops-a solution?
University of Florida, Auburn University, UGA, National Soil Dynamics Laboratory,
National Peanut Laboratory, Virginia Tech, Texas A&MThe Nature Conservancy, NRCS, Cotton Inc., NWF Water
Mgt. District, NESPAL, and others
We know that cultivation and tillage depletes organic matter and exposes the soil to erosion. Cover crops help but do they do enough?
Sod-based Peanut-Cotton Rotation Sod-based Peanut-Cotton Rotation
Sod System: (CBBP) Conventional System: (PCCP)
Oat Winter Cover Crop Following Peanut and Cotton in Both Systems
oats
oats
oats
oats
Strip till was used in each year with best management practices
Bahia
BahiaCotton
CottonCotton
oatsPeanut
Peanut
% SOM in SOD BASED ROTATION
11.21.41.61.8
22.22.42.62.8
3
2003 2005 2007 2009
Year
% S
OM
Cattle and perennial grasses add an intensity to cropping systemsthat brings better utilization of nutrients, water, land resources, and can be much better environmentally and economically
Planting bahiagrass into winter coverin January 08 (early planting is key)
Bahia killed in fall of 07 and planted to oat/rye
F-F-Ct-PF-F-Ct-P O-O-Ct-PO-O-Ct-P
Ct-P-Ct-PCt-P-Ct-P S-Ct-Ct-PS-Ct-Ct-P
VT in 2006
Oat cover crop Oat cover crop
Fescue Orchardgrass
Virginia Tech at Tidewater REC 2006 Virginia Tech at Tidewater REC 2006 YIELD!!! YIELD!!!
Lint Yield
0
500
1000
1500
2000
Ct-Ct-Ct Ct-C-Ct Ct-P-Ct F-F-Ct O-O-Ct S-Ct-Ct
Treatment
lbs/
acre
1188
.5
1158
.5
1343
.7
1801
.3
1760
.8
1210
.4
50% higher yield
Cotton Leaf Water Potential (2007)
Days after planting
20 40 60 80 100 120
Leaf
wte
r po
tent
ial (
MP
a)
-2.4
-2.2
-2.0
-1.8
-1.6
-1.4
-1.2
-1.0
Sod CottonConv. Cotton 1Conv. Cotton 2
Irrigated Cotton
60 70 80 90 100 110
Leaf
wte
r po
tent
ial (
MP
a)
-2.4
-2.2
-2.0
-1.8
-1.6
-1.4
-1.2
-1.0
Non-irrigated Cotton
Days after planting
20 40 60 80 100 120
Leaf
wte
r po
tent
ial (
MP
a)
-2.4
-2.2
-2.0
-1.8
-1.6
-1.4
-1.2
-1.0
Sod CottonConv. Cotton 1Conv. Cotton 2
Irrigated Cotton
60 70 80 90 100 110
Leaf
wte
r po
tent
ial (
MP
a)
-2.4
-2.2
-2.0
-1.8
-1.6
-1.4
-1.2
-1.0
Non-irrigated Cotton
Peanut Leaf Water Potential in 2007
Days after planting
40 60 80 100 120
Leaf
wat
er p
oten
tial (
MP
a)
-3.5
-3.0
-2.5
-2.0
-1.5
-1.0
-0.5
0.0
Sod (Irrigated) (Non-irrigated)Conv. (Irrigated) (Non-irrigated)
(0.53)(0.41) (0.13)
(0.73) (0.12)
Sod-based peanuts had less water stress than the conventional peanuts most of the season under both irrigated and non-irrigated conditions.
Peanuts grown in soilwith Bahia roots
Peanuts grown in soilwithout Bahia roots
Soil was from cultivated field with bahia roots added in pots in greenhouse
We know bahia grass increase peanut yields consistently
Percent peanut yield averaged over 8 years, Quincy
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Irrigated Non irrigated
CBBP
PCCP
sodsod
Conv. Conv.
Cotton Yield Response to Irrigation and Grazing (2008 Marianna)
19681787 1712
1348
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
Irr Non-irr Irr Non-irr
Lint
Yie
ld (l
bs./
A)
Grazed Non Grazed
bca cab
In bahia rotation
Root limiting
Nitrate-N in soil profile of sod-based rotation after Bahia & winter grazing and before peanut planting 2009, Marianna
No bahia for 2 cycles,fertilized cover crops
Nitrate is similar to OM content
Potassium (K) in soil profile of sod-based rotation after Bahia & winter grazing and before peanut planting 2009, Marianna
Nitrate-N in soil profile of sod-based rotation after Bahia-Peanut and winter grazing before Cotton 2009, Marianna
Cattle recycling N
0 N 60 lbs N/A on 6/8/09
0 N 60 lbs N/A on 6/8/09
July 8, 2009
PCCP
BBCP
More N uptake due to higher SOM and soil moisture content as well as deeper roots
Soil nitrates at 2 ft depth in cotton
From suction cup lysimeters
Little N left at end of the season due to higher uptake
Potassium (K) in soil profile of sod-based rotation after Bahia-Peanut and winter grazing before Cotton 2009, Marianna
High rainfall during harvest
Comparison of a conventional and a sod based system
•Conventional system use land 125-155 days a year vs. year round with crops plus winter grazing which controls weeds after first crop and is intense Not less intense which is often the thought when going with bahiagrass•Roots of row crops expand for the first 45-60 days before the plant goes into reproductive stage of growth vs. continuous growth for perennial grasses which leads to more soil exploration, nutrient and water utilization•Nitrogen used on annual crops can be lost after crop maturity if a second crop is not planted vs. being used for 6-9 months by perennial grass or 6 months by a summer crop followed by 6 months for winter grazing•Cattle recycle nutrients and if used at stocking rates of one animal per 1-2 acres can prevent leaching of nutrients and can reduce applied N, P, K, and other nutrients substantially•Nutrient loss is highest with single annual crops using conventional tillage and is less with cover crops with conservation tillage and cattle, vs. even less with crops following bahiagrass with the least loss where cattle are part of the system perennial/annual crop system
This rotation with perennial grass, livestock, annual row crops results in less irrigation needed, less N needed, less N leached, higher yields of winter grazing, peanuts and cotton, and 2-7 times more profit
