Integrated Crop-Livestock Systems as a Solution Facing the Destruction of Pampa and Cerrado Biomes in South America by Intensive Monoculture Systems

Moraes, Aníbal de; Carvalho, Paulo César de Faccio; Crusciol, Carlos Alexandre Costa; Lang, Claudete Reisdörfer; Pariz, Cristiano Magalhães; Deiss, Leonardo; Sulc, R. Mark

doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-811050-8.00016-9

Cited by 31 publications

(34 citation statements)

References 62 publications

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“…These findings come at a time when yield gains for most major grain crops are slowing, climate change is increasingly impacting yield potentials, and crop breeders are struggling to find new avenues for large yield gains under both limiting and optimal conditions [109]. Furthermore, rising concerns about land conversion to agriculture and pasture in sensitive or important ecosystems such as the Brazilian Amazon [5,6,110] are stoking interest in identifying viable strategies for ecological intensification of existing agricultural land area. Therefore, system designs and management techniques that contribute to closing yield gaps while generating multiple other ecological and economic benefits are critical.…”

Section: Plos Onementioning

confidence: 99%

“…The positive effect of ICLS in loamy soils suggests that intermediate soil textures may represent a "sweet spot" for ICLS implementation. The reasons for the positive effect of ICLS in intermediate soil textures potentially include the physical and hydrological properties of loams, which are more resistant to compaction than clayey soils and more robust against organic carbon loss, erosion, and drought impacts than sandy soils [6]. They are also considered among the most conducive to no-till management, where the benefits of adding grazing animals to the system are more likely to be seen in the form of acidity amelioration and other soil chemical improvements [24] along with increased soil carbon accumulation rates [115].…”

Section: Plos Onementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Feed production for such operations creates further demand for the products of low-diversity corn and alfalfa systems and their associated consumption of valuable water resources [2]. These externalities are not limited to intensive systems; specialized extensive livestock enterprises such as grazed beef production create concerns over conversion of native habitat to pasture, e.g., in the Amazon, Cerrado, and Pampa ecosystems in Brazil and Argentina [5,6]. Unintended consequences of specialization and consolidation in agricultural landscapes also span the social and economic dimensions of food systems, including food insecurity-as when rural-to-urban displacement exacerbates poverty issues-and vulnerability of rural livelihoods to weather and market fluctuations due to dependence on fewer agricultural commodities [7,8].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Commercial integrated crop-livestock systems achieve comparable crop yields to specialized production systems: A meta-analysis

2020

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Production systems that feature temporal and spatial integration of crop and livestock enterprises, also known as integrated crop-livestock systems (ICLS), have the potential to intensify production on cultivated lands and foster resilience to the effects of climate change without proportional increases in environmental impacts. Yet, crop production outcomes following livestock grazing across environments and management scenarios remain uncertain and a potential barrier to adoption, as producers worry about the effects of livestock activity on the agronomic quality of their land. To determine likely production outcomes across ICLS and to identify the most important moderating variables governing those outcomes, we performed a meta-analysis of 66 studies comparing crop yields in ICLS to yields in unintegrated controls across 3 continents, 12 crops, and 4 livestock species. We found that annual cash crops in ICLS averaged similar yields (-7% to +2%) to crops in comparable unintegrated systems. The exception was dual-purpose crops (crops managed simultaneously for grazing and grain production), which yielded 20% less on average than single-purpose crops in the studies examined. When dual-purpose cropping systems were excluded from the analysis, crops in ICLS yielded more than in unintegrated systems in loamy soils and achieved equal yields in most other settings, suggesting that areas of intermediate soil texture may represent a "sweet-spot" for ICLS implementation. This meta-analysis represents the first quantitative synthesis of the crop production outcomes of ICLS and demonstrates the need for further investigation into the conditions and management scenarios under which ICLS can be successfully implemented.

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Section: Plos Onementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Plos Onementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Commercial integrated crop-livestock systems achieve comparable crop yields to specialized production systems: A meta-analysis

2020

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“…Leaving the straw and roots of successive crops on agricultural fields, such as under no-tillage systems (NTS), improves the physical, chemical, and biological properties of soil (Castro et al, 2015;Calonego et al, 2017). In tropical regions, soil quality can be improved by adopting integrated crop-livestock systems, intercropping, and crop rotation management under NTS (Costa et al, 2015;Moraes et al, 2019). These conservationist management practices preserve natural tropical resources (Crusciol et al, 2015), provide high yields of most grain crops (Pariz et al, 2017;Mateus et al, 2020) and are good options to increase food production during irregular periods of rain (Borghi et al, 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Can Palisade and Guinea Grass Sowing Time in Intercropping Systems Affect Soybean Yield and Soil Chemical Properties?

Costa

Andreotti

Crusciol

et al. 2020

Front. Sustain. Food Syst.

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In tropical regions, intercropping systems under no-tillage improve biomass quantity, soil conservation, and cash crop productivity. However, the optimal sowing time for forage species in these cropping systems is unknown. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of two sowing times of palisade and guinea grass on forage production and quality, soybean yield and soil chemical properties. Palisade and guinea grasses were sown for intercropping with maize or after maize silage harvest (hereafter succession) in an experiment carried out over three crop seasons. We evaluated forage dry matter production, pasture nutritive values, straw nutrient content, soybean leaf nutrients, yield, and soil fertility. The highest dry matter production was 8.1 Mg ha −1 for guinea grass in the intercropping system (sum of 3 cuts). Sowing forage after maize silage harvest provided 4% more crude protein compared with intercropping, regardless of grass species. Soybean yield was over 1.0 Mg ha −1 higher when soybean was cropped in succession compared with intercropping; however, the effects of the two forage grasses on soybean production were similar. Soil pH, calcium and magnesium content, cation exchange capacity, and base saturation were higher in the intercropping systems than in the succession systems, particularly when guinea grass was cultivated. Sowing guinea grass after maize harvest provided better forage quality, nutrient cycling, soybean yields, and soil chemical properties in tropical conditions.

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“…Thus, it is of strategic importance to understand the impact of agricultural production on soil erosion rates [18] and water balance [19]. Integrated agricultural production is a feasible option to increase food production during times of irregular rain and reduced pasture availability [20], especially for the Cerrado with dry winter and high temperatures in the summer.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Long-Term Crop-Livestock-Forestry Systems on Soil Erosion and Water Infiltration in a Brazilian Cerrado Site

et al. 2019

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Integrating agricultural land uses is a suitable alternative for fostering economic development and improving food security. However, the effects of long-term integrated systems on soil erosion and water infiltration are still poorly understood. Here, we investigate the influence of different agricultural land uses on soil erosion and water infiltration in an Oxisol site located in the Brazilian Cerrado region. The experimental area consisted of continuous grazing under variable stocking rates with regular fertilization (CG-RF), continuous cropping under no-till (CC-NT) and no-till with 4-year subsoiling (CC-SS), rotation of one year cropping and three years livestock in the livestock phase (C1-L3), rotation of four years cropping and four years livestock in the cropping phase (CL-4C) and in the livestock phase (CL-4L), and integrated crop-livestock-forestry in the cropping phase (CLF-C) and in the livestock phase (CLF-L). To evaluate water infiltration and soil loss, we used a rainfall simulator with a constant rainfall intensity of 74.9 ± 3.6 mm h−1 in plots of 0.7 m2. We carried out 72 rainfall simulations comprising four repetitions in each treatment under vegetation and bare soil. Stable infiltration rate (SIR) ranged from 45.9 to 74.8 mm h−1 and 19.4 to 70.8 mm h−1 under vegetation covers and bare soil, respectively. Our findings indicated that SIR values under CLF-C were 60% greater than under CG-RF. We also found that soil loss rates under CLF-C were 50% smaller than under CG-RF. The crop–livestock rotation period that presented better results of SIR and soil loss was one year of cropping and three years of livestock (C1-L3). Overall, we noted that SIR and soil loss values under CLF-C are similar to the Cerrado native vegetation. Therefore, our study reveals the opportunity to increase agricultural production, improve food supply, and reduce soil erosion with adequate soil and agricultural management.

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Integrated Crop-Livestock Systems as a Solution Facing the Destruction of Pampa and Cerrado Biomes in South America by Intensive Monoculture Systems

Cited by 31 publications

References 62 publications

Commercial integrated crop-livestock systems achieve comparable crop yields to specialized production systems: A meta-analysis

Commercial integrated crop-livestock systems achieve comparable crop yields to specialized production systems: A meta-analysis

Can Palisade and Guinea Grass Sowing Time in Intercropping Systems Affect Soybean Yield and Soil Chemical Properties?

Effects of Long-Term Crop-Livestock-Forestry Systems on Soil Erosion and Water Infiltration in a Brazilian Cerrado Site

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