Crop-livestock Systems Research Articles

Crop and livestock productivity, soil health improvement and insect dynamics: Impact of different fodder-based cropping systems in a rainfed region of India

CONTEXTFarmers in rainfed areas of South Asia depend on livestock to augment income, and provide manure for soil and crops. However, the full potential of the livestock is not realized due to the non-availability of quality fodder. The deficit may be attributed to limitation in expansion of cultivable land as well as non-availability of fodder from the protected forest areas. It is possible to enhance the productivity of the livestock by crop-livestock systems. OBJECTIVESThis study was conducted to determine the crop and fodder production potential, nutritive value of the fodder, and reductions in soil nutrients loss and pests of the seven fodder-based inter-cropping systems in a rainfed region in South India. METHODSA medium-term field experiment was conducted from 2015 to 2021 at the Gungal Research Farm of ICAR's Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture (17o05’ N, 78o39’E) with seven fodder-based cropping systems involving conventional crops either alone or in combinations with annual or perennial fodder species. The seven systems (treatments) were: sorghum + pigeon pea - hedge lucerne, sorghum + pigeonpea - guinea grass, castor - hedge lucerne, castor - guinea grass, sorghum - fodder - clusterbean - fodder-cowpea - fodder -horsegram, sole sorghum, and sole pigeonpea. Impacts of these systems on crop and livestock productivity, reductions in surface soil erosion and nutrient loss, and soil health and pest dynamics were studied. Livestock based studies were also conducted with the harvested fodders. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONSWe found that sorghum + pigeonpea-hedge lucerne on average can produce 3865 kg ha−1 of sorghum grain equivalent yield and 37,820 kg ha−1 of sorghum fodder equivalent yield. The sorghum + pigeon pea-guinea grass would benefit the farmers with no animals, by selling the high biomass grass fodder and minimizing the risk of crop failure. These two systems are also better in providing green fodder for at least 8–9 months without any supplementary irrigation. We also observed increase in soil N, OC and soil microbes. There was reduction in runoff (by 51–52%) and sediment loss (by 52%), and reduced pest and disease incidence in these systems. SIGNIFICANCEOur study demonstrated that perennial fodder-based cropping systems are an excellent option to enhance the sustainability and livelihood security of rainfed farmers by reducing the risk of crop failure and supporting the livestock. These systems also open up the scope of integrating tree fodders especially in the bunds and farm borders.

Harnessing fungicide potential of hydrothermal liquefaction water from livestock manure: A new vision of integrated crop-livestock system

Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) can turn livestock manure into biocrude oil, but the aqueous phase (HTL-AP) attracts increasing concerns owing to its large amount and high toxicity. In this regard, a novel integrated crop-livestock system paradigm was proposed where HTL-AP from livestock manure was used as fungicide for phytopathogen control. To verify this strategy, Alternaria solani was employed as indicator phytopathogen, whereas cow manure (CM) and swine manure (SM) were used as the feedstock to obtain fungicide compounds via hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL). Results showed that the minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) of two HTL-APs was about 12%, where the main active compounds probably were phenols and nitrogenous compounds. The fungicide application would increase the manure carrying capacity by over 10%. Further observation revealed that HTL-AP exhibited inhibition through multiple pathways such as changing the mycelial morphology and cell membrane structure, resulting in metabolic disorders via impacting the generation of H2O2, ATP, reducing sugar and protein. The synergistic interaction among pathways was finally analyzed. Then, the effect of HTL-AP on seed-borne fungi control was evaluated via 36 groups of seed germination tests. For all that, this study provides new insights into the valorization of HTL-AP form livestock manure via unlocking its potential as sustainable fungicide constituents for phytopathogen control, further contributes to green development of current integrated crop-livestock system.

Domestic Herbivores, the Crucial Trophic Level for Sustainable Agriculture: Avenues for Reconnecting Livestock to Cropping Systems

Domestic herbivores have been closely associated with the historical evolution and development of agriculture systems worldwide as a complementary system for providing milk, meat, wool, leather, and animal power. However, their major role was to enhance and maintain agricultural soil fertility through the recycling of nutrients. In turn, cereal production increased, enabling to feed a progressively increasing human population living in expanding urban areas. Further, digestion of organic matter through the rumen microbiome can also be viewed as enhancing the soil microbiome activity. In particular, when animal droppings are deposited directly in grazing areas or applied to fields as manure, the mineralization–immobilization turnover determines the availability of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and other nutrients in the plant rhizosphere. Recently, this close coupling between livestock production and cereal cropping systems has been disrupted as a consequence of the tremendous use of industrial mineral fertilizers. The intensification of production within these separate and disconnected systems has resulted in huge emissions of nitrogen (N) to the environment and a dramatic deterioration in the quality of soil, air, and ground- and surface water. Consequently, to reduce drastically the dependency of modern and intensified agriculture on the massive use of N and phosphorus (P) fertilizers, we argue that a close reconnection at the local scale, of herbivore livestock production systems with cereal-based cropping systems, would help farmers to maintain and recover the fertility of their soils. This would result in more diverse agricultural landscapes including, besides cereals, grasslands as well as forage and grain crops with a higher proportion of legume species. We developed two examples showing such a beneficial reconnection through (i) an agro-ecological scenario with profound agricultural structural changes on a European scale, and (ii) typical Brazilian integrated crop–livestock systems (ICLS). On the whole, despite domestic herbivores emit methane (CH4), an important greenhouse gas, they participate to nutrient recycling, which can be viewed as a solution to maintaining long-term soil fertility in agro-ecosystems; at a moderate stocking density, ecosystem services provided by ruminants would be greater than the adverse effect of greenhouse gas (GHG).

Circular agriculture increases food production and can reduce N fertilizer use of commercial farms for tropical environments

World food production must increase in the coming years with minimal environmental impact for food and nutrition security. Circular Agriculture has emerged as an approach to minimize non-renewable resource depletion and encourage by-product reuse. The goal of this study was to evaluate Circular Agriculture as a tool to increase food production and N recovery. The assessment was conducted for two Brazilian farms (Farm 1; Farm 2) with Oxisols under no-till and a diversified cropping system, including five species of grain, three cover crop species, and sweet potato. Both farms implemented an annual two-crop rotation and an integrated crop-livestock system with beef cattle confined for 2-years. Grain and forage from the fields, leftovers from silos, and crop residues were used as cattle feed. Grain yield was 4.8 and 4.5 t ha−1 for soybean, 12.5 and 12.1 t ha−1 for maize, and 2.6 and 2.4 t ha−1 for common bean, for Farm 1 and Farm 2, respectively, which is higher than the national average. The animals gained 1.2 kg day−1 of live weight. Farm 1 exported 246 kg ha−1 year−1 of N in grains, tubers, and animals, while 216 kg ha−1 year−1 was added as fertilizer and N to cattle. Farm 2 exported 224 kg ha−1 year−1 in grain and animals, while 215 kg ha−1 year−1 was added as fertilizer and N to cattle. Circular practices, i.e., no-till, crop rotation, year-round soil covered, maize intercropped with brachiaria ruziziensis, biological N fixation, and crop-livestock integration, increased crop yield and decreased N application by 14.7 % (Farm 1) and 4.3 % (Farm 2). 85 % of the N consumed by the confined animals was excreted and converted into organic compost. Overall, circular practices associated with adequate crop management allowed recovering high rate of applied N, reducing environmental impacts, and increasing food production with lower production costs.

Detailed characterization of plinthic soils in Southern Mali, Sub-Saharan Africa, as a secure basis for specific soil management and food security

Mali and the other Sudano-Sahelian countries hold one of the lowest human development indexes due to climate, social and economic conditions that prevent food and fibre production. The growing demand for food production coupled with the lack of knowledge about the limiting attributes of soils induce soil degradation. Inadequate management of soils results in significant vulnerability for food security in Mali. This study aimed to analyze soils from Southern Mali with varying influences of plinthite, providing insights regarding specific management and restoration practices. Seven soil profiles in Southern Mali were studied. Morphological, physical, chemical and mineralogical attributes were assessed. The biggest physical limitations identified in Mali were: poor water infiltration, erosion and stoniness. Physical limitations were mostly due to cemented horizons and clay increase with depth. Main chemical limitations were acidity and low natural fertility. Low fertility is related to the advanced weathered-leached status of soils and the influence of sandstone, a nutrient-poor, quartz-rich parent material. Soils from Bandiagara II presented more acidity values and soil fertility limitations compared to those from Siani. Higher soil fertility in Siani could be related to volcanic sediments associated with sandstones of the studied region. Siani soils presented more clay increase with depth and are considered more erosion-prone in this sense. In soils from Southern Mali, specific management practices aiming to increase and preserve soil organic matter should be highlighted, such as integrated crop-livestock systems, cover plants (e.g., elephant grass) and corn-sunn hemp consortium.

Grazing, liming, and fertilization: Shifts on soil fertility and microbial community in a no-till sheep-soybean integrated system

Integrated crop–livestock systems are recognized for intensifying food production as long as adequate management of grazing, fertilization, and liming is practiced. There is still a lack of information about the effect of these factors on the soil microbiological community. This study evaluated the effects of grazing, liming, and different P and K fertilization strategies on the soil microbial community and its relationship with soil chemical properties. For this purpose, a field experiment was established in 2017 on a subtropical Acrisol. Treatments consisted of two production systems: (i) integrated crop-livestock system (with winter sheep grazing) and (ii) specialized system (ungrazed), combined with two periods of P and K fertilization: (i) conventional fertilization (at soybean planting) and (ii) system fertilization (in the Italian ryegrass pasture). The effect of liming (with and without) was also evaluated. Eighteen months after lime application, the soil was sampled in the 0–5 and10–15 cm soil layers to evaluate soil chemical properties (pH, exchangeable Al, Ca, and Mg, available P and K, cation (Ca+Mg+K) saturation, and Al saturation) and soil microbial community composition. In the surface soil layer, a negative impact of lime application was observed for Gram+ bacteria (−29 %) and actinomycetes (−21 %), consequently decreasing the total bacterial community (−26 %) and total microbial biomass (−27 %). This negative impact of liming on Gram+ bacteria and actinomycetes was negatively related to the increase in soil pH, exchangeable Ca and Mg concentrations, and positively related to Al saturation and available K. The combination of an integrated system or system fertilization with lime increased arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi community 3.0-fold compared to a specialized system or conventional fertilization in the subsurface soil layer. In addition, sheep grazing increased saprophytic fungi biomass by 50 % in the subsurface soil layer compared to the specialized system. These positive impacts on the soil fungal community were probably associated with increased plant residue input. Sheep grazing and the fertilization strategy did not affect soil chemical properties or the microbial community at the soil surface. Liming, system fertilization, and sheep grazing benefitted the soil fungal community, thus improving soil health in highly weathered agricultural soils.

Chemical, physical, and biological properties of soil with pastures recovered by integration crop-livestock system in Eastern Amazon

Soil quality can be understood as its capacity to provide several essential services within the ecosystem and has been used to understand the impact of different managements, providing information that proves the benefits and your maintenance of the agroecosystem. To understand the impact of different managements, this study aimed to compare the chemical, physical, and biological soil properties in pasture areas managed with different recovery times in an integrated crop-livestock system about perennial pastures and secondary forest. The following [...]

Integrated vs. Specialized Farming Systems for Sustainable Food Production: Comparative Analysis of Systems’ Technical Efficiency in Nebraska

Complementarities between crops and livestock production have the potential to increase input use efficiency and maintain a diversified livelihood. This paper uses non-parametric data envelopment analysis (DEA) to assess the technical efficiency (TE) of integrated crop–livestock systems (ICLS) compared to specialized cropping and specialized livestock systems in the state of Nebraska, in the central United States. We classify each county of Nebraska into one of three systems according to their dominant agricultural production revenues. We use DEA to measure the TE of each county compared, first, to a group production frontier (in-system comparison) and second, to a metafrontier (cross-system comparison). Thirty percent of the cropping systems counties were evaluated as fully efficient in the in-system comparison with other cropping systems counties. Thirty-six percent of the livestock systems counties and 18% of the ICLS counties were evaluated as fully efficient in their in-system comparisons. The ICLS counties are less likely to appear on the metafrontier, with a total of only 7% compared to 39% and 32% for the specialized cropping and specialized livestock systems, respectively. These results highlight the need for further research on optimal crop–livestock integration that allows for the realization of synergies and complementarities needed for higher efficiency and sustainable intensification of food production.

Emergy synthesis of decoupling and recoupling crop-livestock systems under unified system boundary and modified indices

Sustainability assessment of integrated crop-livestock system was crucial for regulating and improving the complex agricultural system. Emergy synthesis (ES) is a suitable tool to assess the sustainability of integrated crop-livestock systems. However, the inconsistent system boundaries and limited assessment indicators caused to subjective and misleading results when comparing the recoupling and decoupling croplivestock models. Therefore, this study defined the rational system boundary of emergy accounting for the comparison of recoupling and decoupling crop-livestock complex systems. Meanwhile, the study designed an emergy-based indices system based on “3R” principles of circular economy. An integrated crop-livestock system including sweet maize cultivation and cow dairy farm in South China was selected as the case to compare sustainability of recoupling and decoupling models under the unified system boundary and modified indices. Results showed that the new ES framework could provide more rational assessment results when comparing the recoupling and decoupling crop-livestock systems. In addition, this study illustrated, through scenario simulation, that the recoupling maize-cow model could be further optimized by regulating the material flow between subsystems and adjusting the system structure. This study would promote the application of ES method in the field of agricultural circular economy.

Structural soil quality and system fertilization efficiency in integrated crop-livestock system

The nutrient use efficiency in integrated crop-livestock systems under system fertilization may be related to soil structural variations caused by grazing. These hypothetical cause-effect relationships are not known, which reflects a limited understanding of the underlying processes. This study evaluated the association between soil structural quality and system fertilization efficiency of phosphorus and potassium in an integrated crop-livestock system and a pure crop system. The treatments were two fertilization strategies (system fertilization and crop fertilization) in a factorial scheme with two production systems (an integrated crop-livestock system and a pure crop system) distributed in a randomized block design with four replicates. In the pure crop system, soybean was grown followed by Italian ryegrass as a non-grazed cover crop. In the integrated crop-livestock system, the ryegrass was grazed by sheep. In the crop fertilization strategy, phosphorus and potassium were applied at the soybean planting, and nitrogen in the ryegrass establishment. In the system fertilization strategy, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium were applied during the establishment of ryegrass. Soil physical quality indices were calculated for the beginning, middle, and end of the pasture phase (2020) and at the soybean harvest (2021). Forage and soybean production were also evaluated. Based on the soil physical quality index, the soil’s ability to perform its physical functions decreased from 94% under an integrated crop-livestock system to 89% under a pure crop system. The results indicated higher total forage production (36%) and soybean yield (13%) in the system fertilization strategy as compared to the crop fertilization strategy. Moreover, the integrated crop-livestock system produced more forage (31%) and soybean grains (15%) than the pure crop system. The study provides the first evidence that higher structural quality of soils in an integrated crop-livestock system favors crop yields at all stages of production. However, the nutrient use efficiency in system fertilization is only partially explained by the soil’s physical quality.

Effect of Supplementation of Lambs with Whole Cottonseed: Impact on Serum Biomarkers and Infection by Gastrointestinal Parasites under Field Conditions.

The purpose of this trial was to evaluate serum levels of oxidative stress biomarkers and biochemical analytes in crossbred lambs during the rearing phase in an integrated crop-livestock system (ICLS) to control gastrointestinal parasites. The experiment used 36 crossbred lambs (cross: Ile de France × White Dorper × Texel) divided into two groups. The WCS group was supplemented with whole cottonseed (WCS), and controls had no supplementation. Body weight, blood collection, and fecal analysis of nematode eggs and Eimeria oocysts counting per gram of feces were performed for each animal within 84 days of experiment. The following serum analytes were determined: total protein, albumin, globulin, cholesterol, haptoglobin, and 10 oxidative stress biomarkers: cupric reducing antioxidant capacity, ferric reducing ability of plasma, trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity, thiol, uric acid, paraoxonase-1, total oxidant status, ferric-xylenol orange, advanced oxidation protein products, and reactive oxygen metabolites derived compounds. The inclusion of WCS suggested the benefit in controlling infection as well as inducing an increase in antioxidants and a decrease in oxidants in lambs naturally infected by gastrointestinal parasites. The combination of WCS and ICLS could be a useful tool in controlling gastrointestinal parasite infection without affecting the production performance.

Grazing intensity and nitrogen fertilization effects on biomass and morphology of black oat roots in an integrated crop–livestock system

AbstractGrazing stimulates root and forage mass of perennial pastures, but few studies have addressed the effects of grazing on annual pastures which are often grown in short periods within integrated crop–livestock systems (ICLS). In these pastures, N fertilization is a common practice to increase forage mass, but its effects on root morphology are unclear. In a field experiment, we evaluated how grazing intensities (ungrazed, moderate, and heavy grazing) and N fertilization rates (0, 75, and 150 kg N ha−1) affected morphological attributes of oat (Avena strigosa Schreb.) roots and forage accumulation in ICLS in Brazilian subtropics. Forage mass was evaluated in each grazing cycle and roots were sampled to a 30‐cm depth at the end of the grazing season in 2 years. Heavy and moderate grazing reduced (p < 0.05) forage accumulation by 15%–37% compared to ungrazed (4867 kg DM ha−1) in the first year, characterized by extended periods of water deficit, but in the second year forage accumulation from grazed and ungrazed was similar (p > 0.05), averaging 4273 kg ha−1. N fertilization increased forage accumulation in both the years, without differences between 75 and 150 kg N ha−1 in grazed treatments. Grazing and N rates mainly reduced root diameter and increased root N concentration. Increasing N fertilization rates increased root length but it was more expressive in the first year. Nitrogen fertilization with 75 or 150 kg N ha−1 on moderately grazed oat is an alternative to increase forage accumulation as it stimulates fine root development and increase N uptake, mainly when adverse climatic conditions can affect pasture growth.

SAR and Optical Data Applied to Early-Season Mapping of Integrated Crop–Livestock Systems Using Deep and Machine Learning Algorithms

Regenerative agricultural practices are a suitable path to feed the global population. Integrated Crop–livestock systems (ICLSs) are key approaches once the area provides animal and crop production resources. In Brazil, the expectation is to increase the area of ICLS fields by 5 million hectares in the next five years. However, few methods have been tested regarding spatial and temporal scales to map and monitor ICLS fields, and none of these methods use SAR data. Therefore, in this work, we explored the potential of three machine and deep learning algorithms (random forest, long short-term memory, and transformer) to perform early-season (with three-time windows) mapping of ICLS fields. To explore the scalability of the proposed methods, we tested them in two regions with different latitudes, cloud cover rates, field sizes, landscapes, and crop types. Finally, the potential of SAR (Sentinel-1) and optical (Sentinel-2) data was tested. As a result, we found that all proposed algorithms and sensors could correctly map both study sites. For Study Site 1(SS1), we obtained an overall accuracy of 98% using the random forest classifier. For Study Site 2, we obtained an overall accuracy of 99% using the long short-term memory net and the random forest. Further, the early-season experiments were successful for both study sites (with an accuracy higher than 90% for all time windows), and no significant difference in accuracy was found among them. Thus, this study found that it is possible to map ICLSs in the early-season and in different latitudes by using diverse algorithms and sensors.

Cooperation between specialized cropping and livestock farms at local level reduces carbon footprint of agricultural system: A case study of recoupling maize-cow system in South China

Decoupling of crop and livestock production has become increasingly common in the world during to past decades. The cooperation between specialized crop and livestock farms have been paid more attention for the development of sustainable agriculture. This study assumed that rebuilding the linkage between specialized crop and livestock farms through cooperation at the local level would decrease agricultural GHG emissions. Therefore, we designed a cooperative crop-livestock farming model (CCLS) in South China by recoupling the cow farm with the sweet maize cultivation farms around it to demonstrate the hypothesis based on carbon footprint (CF) method. The CFs under two cooperative scenarios (CCLS20 and CCLS50) were compared with the corresponding decoupling models (DCLS20 and DCLS50). Results showed that CCLS significantly reduced GHG emissions from cropping systems in comparison to DCLS primarily by increasing the soil organic carbon storage while decreasing accumulative N2O emissions. In specific, the CFs of CCLS20 and CCLS50 were 48.78% and 623.34% lower than DCLS20 and DCLS50, respectively. The yield-based CFs of CCLS20 and CCLS50 were 66.30% and 165.99% lower than DCLS20 and DCLS50, respectively. Meanwhile, the CF of the cow farm in CCLS20 and CCLS50 were 8.80% and 8.22% lower than that in DCLS20/50 by lowering relative GHG emissions of straw supply in roughage forage and shortening manure storage time in the manure management process. Finally, the yield-based CF in CCLS20 and CCLS50 were 67.68% and 168.51% lower than the DCLS20 and DCLS50, respectively, demonstrating that the cooperation between specialized planting and livestock farms at local level reduced the CF of the agricultural production chain by the synergistic reduction effects of GHG emissions in cropland, livestock rearing and transportation processes. The results would provide a quantitative understanding of the net GHG emission of cooperative crop-livestock system at the local level in China and valuable information for the development of sustainable farming system in the world.

Regional differences in nitrogen balance and nitrogen use efficiency in the rice–livestock system of Uruguay

The reintegration of crops with livestock systems is proposed as a way of improving the environmental impacts of food production globally, particularly the impact involving nitrogen (N). A detailed understanding of processes governing N fluxes and budgets is needed to design productive and efficient crop–livestock systems. This study aimed to investigate regional differences in N balance (NBAL, defined as all N inputs minus outputs), N use efficiency (NUE, defined as N outputs/inputs × 100), and N surplus (NSURP, defined as all N inputs minus only outputs in food products) in the rice–livestock system of Uruguay. Three regions across Uruguay are distinguished based on soil fertility and length of pasture rotation. The northern region has high soil fertility and short length of rotation (HFSR); the central region has medium soil fertility and medium length of rotation (MFMR); the eastern region has low fertility and long pasture rotation (LFLR). Results for the last 18 years show a very high NUE (90%) for the rice component in all rotations, associated with negative NBALs ranging from −35 kg N ha−1 yr−1 in HFSR to −3 kg N ha−1 yr−1 in LFLR. However, the livestock component, which overall had low animal productivity (<2 kg N ha−1 yr−1), had low NUE (<10%) but positive NBALs in all the rotations, sustaining N supply in the rice component. At the system level, NUE was high (60%) and NBAL was slightly positive in all rotations (from +2.8 kg N ha−1 yr−1 in HFSR to +8.5 kg N ha−1 yr−1 in LFLR). Because of a recent increase in the N fertilizer dose in rice, NSURP for the overall system was intermediate (40 kg N ha−1 yr−1) and should be monitored in the future. Efforts to improve the system's efficiency should focus on the livestock component.

Imputation of Missing Parts in UAV Orthomosaics Using PlanetScope and Sentinel-2 Data: A Case Study in a Grass-Dominated Area

The recent advances in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-based remote sensing systems have broadened the remote sensing applications for agriculture. Despite the great possibilities of using UAVs to monitor agricultural fields, specific problems related to missing parts in UAV orthomosaics due to drone flight restrictions are common in agricultural monitoring, especially in large areas. In this study, we propose a methodological framework to impute missing parts of UAV orthomosaics using PlanetScope (PS) and Sentinel-2 (S2) data and the random forest (RF) algorithm of an integrated crop–livestock system (ICLS) covered by grass at the time. We validated the proposed framework by simulating and imputing artificial missing parts in a UAV orthomosaic and then comparing the original data with the model predictions. Spectral bands and the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) derived from PS, as well as S2 images (separately and combined), were used as predictor variables of the UAV spectral bands and NDVI in developing the RF-based imputation models. The proposed framework produces highly accurate results (RMSE = 6.77–17.33%) with a computationally efficient and robust machine-learning algorithm that leverages the wealth of empirical information present in optical satellite imagery (PS and S2) to impute up to 50% of missing parts in a UAV orthomosaic.

Economic viability in the integrated crop-livestock system with nitrogen fertilization system and sward canopy heights

Integrated crop-livestock systems (ICLS) are complex production strategies whose main components are soil, plant, and animal. Several studies addressed the interaction among them and conclude on the technical feasibility of these systems, but few studies assess their economic feasibility. The objective of this work was to analyze the economic feasibility of an ICLS, in which nitrogen was applied on the crop phase or onto the pasture phase, combined with two grazing intensities. The study was carried out on a private farm in the municipality of Abelardo Luz—SC, between October 2012 and April 2018. The experimental design was randomized blocks with three replications. The treatments were arranged in a 2x2 factorial scheme, with two sward heights (high and low) and two times of N-fertilization application, or on the cool-season pasture tillering phase either onto cash crop (200 kg of N ha−1 in a single dose). Crop implementation and maintenance costs were surveyed, followed by crop and livestock production calculations, zootechnical indices, and the revenue of each phase (pasture or grain crop) for the entire system. The cash flow analysis was carried out, generating economic indicators of the three dimensions of the expanded multi-index methodology (MMA) for the system and the treatments. In this study, pasture management with low sward canopy height provided the highest net gains per hectare and per hectare/year, regardless of the nitrogen application time. The use of the ICLS is economically viable, regardless of grazing intensities and nitrogen application times.

Uganda chicken genetic resources: I. phenotypic and production characteristics.

The extent of diversity in the indigenous chicken breeds of Uganda was assessed for their potential utilisation in breeding programmes. A total of 293 indigenous-chicken-keeping households in villages across 35 districts forming 12 sub-regions of the four regions were randomly sampled for 586 mature chickens of both sexes. While only 20.8% of households were headed by women, 40.6% of indigenous chicken keepers were women. The production objectives mainly focused on chickens as sources of income from sales and household food. The chickens were predominantly managed in a scavenging (94.2%) feeding system in a mainly (96.9%) mixed crop-livestock system. The average flock size was 19.80 ± 1.21 chickens with 3.83 ± 0.29 laying hens, each producing an average of 13.41 ± 0.20 eggs/clutch and 40.3 ± 0.6 eggs/annum of 5.20 ± 0.03-month egg production age. Normal-feather strains predominated (>90%), with scattered incidences of naked neck, frizzles, polydactyl, and ptilopody traits in both sexes. Dark (49.0% hen; 43.8% cock) and white (38.3% hen; 42.4% cock) skin colours were most common among the chickens compared to yellow skin. However, yellow-coloured shanks were proportionally the most observed (41% cock; 29% hen). Orange and brown iris (eye) colours were the most common in both sexes. The hens commonly had small round earlobes with varying colours, while cocks had large oval-shaped, mainly red (70%) earlobes. The single-comb type was dominant in both sexes, with wattles almost universally present. Frizzle and polydactyl allele frequencies were significantly lower (p < 0.05) than the expected Mendelian proportions, indicating a possible state of endangerment. Meanwhile, the estimated allele frequencies of ptilopody, tufted-crest, and rose comb alleles in the population were similar (p > 0.05) to the expected Mendelian frequencies. However, these strains did not show any significant (p > 0.05) influence on the body weight or the linear morphometric estimates except for being marginally higher than the normal strains. The phenotypic correlations of body weight and morphometric traits ranged from 0.457 to 0.668 and 0.292 to 0.454 in cocks and hens, respectively. These findings provide hints about the prospects for improved performance with modifications in the production environment. The wide phenotypic diversity would support management efforts for their sustainable utilisation and preservation.

The Declining Ogallala Aquifer and the Future Role of Rangeland Science on the North American High Plains

The Ogallala Aquifer region, located in the Great Plains of the central United States, is the largest freshwater aquifer in North America, supporting one of the most agriculturally productive regions in the world. In this paper, we discuss the history of settlement and water use in this region, from the Homestead Act and the Dust Bowl to modern irrigation systems. While many improvements to irrigation technology and water-efficient crops have helped to prolong the life of the Ogallala, continued use of this finite resource is leading to a tragedy of the commons, wherein difficult land management decisions will have to be made by this century's end. We posit that the art and science of rangeland management stands uniquely poised to tackle this challenge directly through creative integration, where appropriate, of native rangeland restoration, improved pasture management, integrated crop-livestock systems, and regenerative agricultural practices aimed at preserving soil and rangeland health, thereby providing continuity in the ability of the Ogallala region to continue to provide food, fiber, and other ecosystem services both locally and globally. Furthermore, we provide discussion on future research, extension, and educational needs to consider as the exploration for adaptive solutions are developed and evaluated in the coming decades.

Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) for soybean biomass and nutrient uptake estimation in response to production systems and fertilization strategies

The system fertilization approach emerged to improve nutrient use efficiency in croplands. This new fertilization concept aims at taking advantage of nutrient cycling within an agroecosystem to obtain maximum production from each nutrient unit. To monitor this effect, methodologies such as the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) are promising to evaluate plant biomass and nutrient content. We evaluated the use of NDVI as a predictor of shoot biomass, P and K uptake, and yield in soybean. Treatments consisted of two production systems [integrated crop-livestock system (ICLS) and cropping system (CS)] and two periods of phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) fertilization (crop fertilization—P and K applied at soybean sowing—and system fertilization—P and K applied in the pasture establishment). NDVI was evaluated weekly from the growth stage V2 up to growth stage R8, using the Greenseeker® canopy sensor. At the growth stages V4, V6, R2, and R4, plants were sampled after NDVI evaluation for chemical analysis. Soybean yield and K uptake were similar between production systems and fertilization strategies (P &amp;gt; 0.05). Soybean shoot biomass and P uptake were, respectively, 25.3% and 29.7% higher in ICLS compared to CS (P &amp;lt; 0.05). For NDVI, an interaction between the production system and days after sowing (P &amp;lt; 0.05) was observed. NDVI increased to 0.95 at 96 days after sowing in CS and to 0.92 at 92 days after sowing in ICLS. A significant relationship between NDVI and shoot biomass, and P and K uptake was observed (P &amp;lt; 0.05). Our results show that the vegetation index NDVI can be used for estimating shoot biomass and P and K uptake in the early growth stages of soybean crops, providing farmers with a new tool for evaluating the spatial variability of soybean growth and nutrition.