On-Farm Assessment of Soil Quality in Low and High Grazing Under Integrated Crop-Livestock System in South Dakota

Abstract

Integrated crop-livestock system (ICLS) has the potential to enhancesoils quality by improving soil chemical, physical, and biologicalparameters especially soil organic carbon. objective of this studywas to assess the impact of low and high stocking rates (number ofanimal per hectare) under ICLS on soil quality parameters at thefarm scale and the approach of farmers in Getysburg, Roscoe andSelby sites for this system. Study sites located at three differentfarms that has low stocking rate of cattle grazing. Data from thisstudy showed that low stocking rate under ICLS increased soilorganic carbon (SOC) from 20.7 to 28.3 g kg-1, and total nitrogen(TN) from 2.06 to 2.60 g kg-1 at the surface 0-5 cm depth.However, high stocking rates under ICLS decreased the SOC. Lowstocking rate under ICLS increased the soil N but it did not impacton soil P significantly. High stocking rate decreased the BG andMBC but low stocking rate increased. High stocking rate increasedthe soil penetration resistance 2.43 to 2.83 MPa. Further, datashowed that the low stocking rate under ICLS improved the soilquality index (SQI) while high stocking rate under ICLS decreasedit. This study showed that ICLS with low stocking density can bebeneficial in enhancing soil quality at the farm scale.