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