Details
Original language | English |
---|---|
Article number | 104813 |
Journal | Soil & tillage research |
Volume | 206 |
Early online date | 5 Oct 2020 |
Publication status | Published - Feb 2021 |
Externally published | Yes |
Abstract
The expansion of dairy farming in southern Brazil, mainly under a rotational grazing system, has generated soil physical changes with loss of soil quality, which in turn must be evaluated to determine how long they persist and how the soil recovers from these changes. The objective of this study was to evaluate the natural recovery of the soil physical attributes of a clayey Oxisol (Latossolo Vermelho distrófico típico, with clayey texture), which had been managed under different intensities of dairy cattle grazing: T0 = no grazing, T30 = consumption of 30 % of available forage, T50= consumption of 50 % of available forage and T80= consumption of 80 % of available forage. The rotational grazing system consisted of a grazing period (an average of 4 h) with a variable stoking rate to achieve forage consumption. For T0, zero animals, T30 three animals, T50 six animals and T80 nine animals per 100 m 2 plot were used, followed by animal exclusion until the forage reached an average height of 35 cm. The grazing system was conducted for approximately 7 months, after which the animals were permanently removed from the area. The recovery of soil physical properties was monitored by soil sampling every three months for one year. The evaluated soil physical properties were porosity, bulk density and air permeability. The increase in grazing intensity negatively affected the soil physical quality. At all grazed areas, T30, T50 and T80, there was a reduction of the total porosity, the macroporosity and the soil air permeability, as well as an increase of the soil bulk density compared with the no grazed area, T0. However, 90 days after exclusion, increases in total porosity and macroporosity were observed. The angular coefficient between soil air-filled porosity and air permeability decreased as the grazing intensity increased and increased with time after grazing exclusion. Rotational grazing areas, when managed properly, can be an important tool for sustainable production. The use of grazing exclusion periods alleviates compaction, reducing the risk for forage production for the following grazing season.
Keywords
- Animal trampling, Compaction, Resilience
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Earth and Planetary Sciences(all)
- Earth-Surface Processes
- Agricultural and Biological Sciences(all)
- Agronomy and Crop Science
- Agricultural and Biological Sciences(all)
- Soil Science
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In: Soil & tillage research, Vol. 206, 104813, 02.2021.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Physical recovery of an oxisol subjected to four intensities of dairy cattle grazing
AU - Koppe, Ezequiel
AU - Rupollo, Carlos Zandona
AU - de Queiroz, Rosemar
AU - Puschmann, Daniel Uteau
AU - Peth, Stephan
AU - Reinert, Dalvan
N1 - Funding Information: This study was financed in part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - Brasil (CAPES) - Finance Code 001.
PY - 2021/2
Y1 - 2021/2
N2 - The expansion of dairy farming in southern Brazil, mainly under a rotational grazing system, has generated soil physical changes with loss of soil quality, which in turn must be evaluated to determine how long they persist and how the soil recovers from these changes. The objective of this study was to evaluate the natural recovery of the soil physical attributes of a clayey Oxisol (Latossolo Vermelho distrófico típico, with clayey texture), which had been managed under different intensities of dairy cattle grazing: T0 = no grazing, T30 = consumption of 30 % of available forage, T50= consumption of 50 % of available forage and T80= consumption of 80 % of available forage. The rotational grazing system consisted of a grazing period (an average of 4 h) with a variable stoking rate to achieve forage consumption. For T0, zero animals, T30 three animals, T50 six animals and T80 nine animals per 100 m 2 plot were used, followed by animal exclusion until the forage reached an average height of 35 cm. The grazing system was conducted for approximately 7 months, after which the animals were permanently removed from the area. The recovery of soil physical properties was monitored by soil sampling every three months for one year. The evaluated soil physical properties were porosity, bulk density and air permeability. The increase in grazing intensity negatively affected the soil physical quality. At all grazed areas, T30, T50 and T80, there was a reduction of the total porosity, the macroporosity and the soil air permeability, as well as an increase of the soil bulk density compared with the no grazed area, T0. However, 90 days after exclusion, increases in total porosity and macroporosity were observed. The angular coefficient between soil air-filled porosity and air permeability decreased as the grazing intensity increased and increased with time after grazing exclusion. Rotational grazing areas, when managed properly, can be an important tool for sustainable production. The use of grazing exclusion periods alleviates compaction, reducing the risk for forage production for the following grazing season.
AB - The expansion of dairy farming in southern Brazil, mainly under a rotational grazing system, has generated soil physical changes with loss of soil quality, which in turn must be evaluated to determine how long they persist and how the soil recovers from these changes. The objective of this study was to evaluate the natural recovery of the soil physical attributes of a clayey Oxisol (Latossolo Vermelho distrófico típico, with clayey texture), which had been managed under different intensities of dairy cattle grazing: T0 = no grazing, T30 = consumption of 30 % of available forage, T50= consumption of 50 % of available forage and T80= consumption of 80 % of available forage. The rotational grazing system consisted of a grazing period (an average of 4 h) with a variable stoking rate to achieve forage consumption. For T0, zero animals, T30 three animals, T50 six animals and T80 nine animals per 100 m 2 plot were used, followed by animal exclusion until the forage reached an average height of 35 cm. The grazing system was conducted for approximately 7 months, after which the animals were permanently removed from the area. The recovery of soil physical properties was monitored by soil sampling every three months for one year. The evaluated soil physical properties were porosity, bulk density and air permeability. The increase in grazing intensity negatively affected the soil physical quality. At all grazed areas, T30, T50 and T80, there was a reduction of the total porosity, the macroporosity and the soil air permeability, as well as an increase of the soil bulk density compared with the no grazed area, T0. However, 90 days after exclusion, increases in total porosity and macroporosity were observed. The angular coefficient between soil air-filled porosity and air permeability decreased as the grazing intensity increased and increased with time after grazing exclusion. Rotational grazing areas, when managed properly, can be an important tool for sustainable production. The use of grazing exclusion periods alleviates compaction, reducing the risk for forage production for the following grazing season.
KW - Animal trampling
KW - Compaction
KW - Resilience
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85091998422&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.still.2020.104813
DO - 10.1016/j.still.2020.104813
M3 - Article
VL - 206
JO - Soil & tillage research
JF - Soil & tillage research
SN - 0167-1987
M1 - 104813
ER -