Integrated Crop-livestock Farming Systems Research Articles

Distinguishing direct N2O emissions from 15N-labeled manure compost, urea, and maize roots in a field study

Nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from agricultural activities are a significant contributor to global anthropogenic N2O emissions. Sustainable agriculture practices, including using manure compost to replace nitrogen (N) fertilizers, can reduce chemical fertilizer use and minimize negative impacts on soil health and water quality. However, the direct contributions of manure compost to N2O emissions have not been fully studied. We conducted a field study to distinguish the direct contributions of manure compost, urea, and residual maize roots to N2O emissions in an integrated crop-livestock agricultural system in Shandong Province, China. Using the 15N-labeling technique, we found that the majority (93.3%) of cumulative N2O emissions originated from the soil and other unaccounted sources. Notably, manure compost contributed 1.3%, while current-year urea, residual urea with root exudates, and maize root accounted for 3.4%, 1.9%, and 0.03% of cumulative N2O, respectively. Our results also demonstrated that applying manure compost in combination with urea resulted in lower seed yield-scaled N2O emissions (0.046 g N2O-N kg−1 seed) compared to applying urea alone, even when the total N input was identical, suggesting the potential of manure compost in a more sustainable agriculture model. The low emission factor of manure compost (0.005%) compared to urea (0.019%) supports this potential, indicating the slow-release nature of manure may mitigate N2O while maintaining crop yield. Additionally, the overall low emissions may be attributed to the relatively high soil pH (8.17), which influences the denitrification product ratio, favoring the conversion of N2O to N2. Our study provides valuable insights into the factors contributing to N2O emissions in integrated crop-livestock farming systems, and highlights the importance of distinguishing multiple sources of N2O emissions to develop effective strategies for reducing emissions while promoting sustainable agriculture.

Understanding the Relations between Soil Biochemical Properties and N2O Emissions in a Long-Term Integrated Crop–Livestock System

Edaphoclimatic conditions influence nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from agricultural systems where soil biochemical properties play a key role. This study addressed cumulative N2O emissions and their relations with soil biochemical properties in a long-term experiment (26 years) with integrated crop–livestock farming systems fertilized with two P and K rates. The farming systems consisted of continuous crops fertilized with half of the recommended P and K rates (CCF1), continuous crops at the recommended P and K rates (CCF2), an integrated crop–livestock system with half of the recommended P and K rates (ICLF1), and an integrated crop–livestock at the recommended P and K rates (ICLF2). The ICLF2 may have promoted the greatest entry of carbon into the soil and positively influenced the soil’s biochemical properties. Total carbon (TC) was highest in ICLF2 in both growing seasons. The particulate and mineral-associated fractions in 2016 and 2017, respectively, and the microbial biomass fraction in the two growing seasons were also very high. Acid phosphatase and arylsulfatase in ICLF1 and ICLF2 were highest in 2016. The soil properties correlated with cumulative N2O emissions were TC, total nitrogen (TN), particulate nitrogen (PN), available nitrogen (AN), mineral-associated organic carbon (MAC), and microbial biomass carbon (MBC). The results indicated that ICLF2 induces an accumulation of more stable organic matter (OM) fractions that are unavailable to the microbiota in the short term and result in lower N2O emissions.

Drivers of integrated crop–livestock farming system’s efficiency for smallholder farmers in the forest-savanna transition agro-ecological zone of Ghana

Drivers of integrated crop–livestock farming system’s efficiency for smallholder farmers in the forest-savanna transition agro-ecological zone of Ghana

Integrated Crop-Livestock Farming System and Its Impact on Livelihood and Sustainability of Poor Farmers in Bulandshahr District, U.P.

Integrated crop-livestock farming System (ICLFS) has been traditionally practiced in India since antiquity. It plays a pivotal role in generation of employment and livelihood, improving health and nutrition intake. This system is beneficial for maintaining sustainable agriculture through mutual utilization of waste products from livestock to cultivation of crops and crop residues to livestock husbandry. ICLFS helps in reducing the greenhouse gases through plant growth along with livestock husbandry. The study aims to understand the mechanism of crop-livestock integration, degree of livelihood generation, economics of crop-livestock integrated farming system and its impact on socio-economic development in Bulandshahr district of Uttar Pradesh, India. Data were collected from published records as well as through filed survey of sampled villages. Arbitrary choice method has been used to identify the principal crops grown in association with livestock, thus, total 5 ICLFS recognized that are practiced in study area. The result of the study shows that The income and employment generated through ICLFS have been found to be more beneficial to poor farmers like land less, marginal and small farmers, livestock husbandry in combination provides some partial jobs to the household members especially during off farm season, ICLFS is the important tools or means for improving farmers income, poverty alleviation, soil ecology equilibrium and economic empowerment of women in the study area particular and in the country general.

ANALYSIS OF THE FACTORS INFLUENCING TECHNICAL EFFICIENCY IN INTEGRATED CROP-LIVESTOCK FARMING SYSTEM IN KADUNA STATE, NIGERIA

The study was conducted to determine the best efficient integrated crop-livestock farming system in Kaduna state, Nigeria. Primary data were obtained through structured questionnaire and interview schedule. A multi-stage sampling procedure was employed to select 7 LGAs (Ikara, Kubau, Kudan, Lere, Soba, Sabon-Gari and Zaria) purposively in stage I for prevalence of integrated crop-livestock farming, 28 villages were selected purposively also for the same reason in stage II while at last stage 400 crop-livestock farmers were randomly selected. Descriptive statistics, Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and Tobit regression model were used to achieve the objective of this study. Results of the socio-economic characteristics revealed that about 92% of the integrated crop-livestock farmers were found to be male with mean age of 44 years and household size of 7 persons per farmer. Results from the DEA showed that the mean total efficiency, pure efficiency and scale efficiency were found to be 0.74, 0.89 and 0.83, respectively. The DEA results further revealed that farmers can reduce the quantity of farm size, labour, seed, fertilizer, manure and agrochemical inputs by 0.18%, 10.97%, 14.43%, 5.28%, 26.93% and 18.48%, respectively. Furthermore, the findings revealed that 19.9, 30.19 and 65.11% of farmers operated at optimal, sub-optimal and super-optimal scale, respectively. Tobit regression model used to determine factors influencing technical efficiency established that coefficients of age (0.201), household size (0.0204), education level (0.206), farming experience (0.321), extension contact 0.311) and cooperative membership (0.1801) were statistically significant variables at different level of probability. There should be synergy between crop and animal scientists; extension agents and agricultural economists to bring into bearing the needs for farmers to imbibe integrated crop-livestock farming to achieve optimum level of efficiency.

Effectiveness of Extension Services for Food and Nutrition Security through Integrated Crop-Livestock Farming Systems: A Case Study of Smallholder Farmers in Rarieda Sub-County, Kenya

Integrated Crop-Livestock Farming Systems (ICLFS) are globally recognized for their contributions to improving agricultural sustainability. These systems also play a big role in conservation and Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) since they reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, thus assisting in coping with the effects of climate change. This study aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of extension services in achieving food and nutrition security by farmers practicing integrated crop-livestock farming systems. The data were analysed using both descriptive statistics and inferential statistics. The frequency over which farmers receive their extension services indicated that the majority never received them, followed by farmers who annually received extension service. From the findings, mass media and village meetings were statistically significant in extension delivery modes. The results indicated a strong and positive correlation between the extension service provision and performance. The standardized regression coefficients revealed that for every unit increase of extension service increases performance and was statistically significant. Therefore, this study recommends a refinement and improvement of extension services to impact integrated farming system positively.

Integrated crop-livestock farming offers a solution to soil fertility mining in semi-arid Kenya: evidence from Marsabit County

ABSTRACT Low-input agriculture is prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa but it cannot deliver future food security. Soil nutrients are being mined by small-scale farmers who continue to remove large quantities of nutrients from their soils without using sufficient manure or fertilizer inputs to maintain soil fertility. Declining soil fertility must be addressed in order to achieve sustainable intensification. A large increase in nutrient inputs is seen as a requirement but small-scale farmers face severe constraints in obtaining supplies of mineral fertilizer. Better use of available livestock manure is a possible solution. We present here a case study from Marsabit County in the largest, most arid, and least developed region of Kenya. Evidence was gathered from field studies at four locations during 2016 and 2017 combined with a farmer survey. We show that a typical smallholder farm can achieve satisfactory yields and an acceptable nitrogen balance through better use of available livestock manure. An acceptable balance can also be achieved for phosphorus, however, there is a deficit for potassium. This case study demonstrates that an integrated crop-livestock farming system offers a potential solution to soil nutrient mining and can provide a pathway to sustainable intensification for small-scale farmers in a challenging semi-arid environment.

Integrated Crop-Livestock Farming Systems: A Strategy for Dry Land and Conservation Agriculture

Integrated Crop-Livestock Farming Systems: A Strategy for Dry Land and Conservation Agriculture

Studies on integrated crop-livestock farming systems: A strategy for dry land and conservation agriculture

Agricultural sector is regarded as the key component of the economies of many developing nations, including India. Globally, agriculture accounts for a large share of GDP, it employs a significant proportion of the labour force, represents a major source of foreign exchange earnings, supplies bulk of basic food and provides subsistence and other income to the agriculture dependant growing population in the world. However, the country is facing decline in growth in agriculture relative to other sectors. The agricultural sector grew at a rate of 2.7%, relative to about 10% growth in both the service and industry sector, in the recent times. Agricultural incomes are lower and the rate of growth is slower than incomes in other sectors. This has resulted in persistence of unacceptable levels of hunger, poverty and malnutrition among large section of India’s population. The strong linkages that agriculture has with other economic sectors representing both forward and backward linkages provide significant stimulus for growth and income generation. It is therefore obvious that significant progress in promoting economic growth, reducing poverty and enhancing food security cannot be achieved without developing a sound, effective and vibrant agriculture system that pays concurrent attention to the human potential and productive capacity of the agriculture sector. These in turn will ensure enhanced contribution of agriculture to the overall economic and social development.

Farming systems and productivity gaps: Opportunities for improving smallholder performance in the Forest-Savannah transition zone of Ghana

This paper examines the productivity of diversified farming systems in the Forest-Savannah Transition zone of Ghana. Cross sectional data from 568 smallholder farmers and a metafrontier framework are used to investigate the opportunities for improving the performance of three types of farming systems: crop; livestock; and integrated crop-livestock. The results show that increasing farmers’ access to labour and capital improves the productivity of each of the three farming systems, whereas access to land increases the productivity of the livestock and integrated crop-livestock farming systems. The latter system is more productive because of its greater diversification. There are opportunities for improving productivity through enhancing farmers’ access to market information and promoting output diversification. Furthermore, policies designed to encourage the adoption of integrated crop-livestock farming systems as a way to enhance productivity, to spread production and market risk, and to promote more stable farm incomes are warranted.

Susceptibility of Perennial Tropical Forage Plants to Glyphosate Herbicide in Integrated Crop-Livestock Farming Systems

ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study was to evaluate forage plant susceptibility in Urochloa ssp. and Megathyrsus maximus with two glyphosate herbicide doses, to increase the efficiency of integrated crop-livestock farming systems. A randomized block design was adopted, in a split-plot arrangement, with six replications. In the main plots, the following treatments were established: Urochloa ruziziensis, U. decumbens, U. brizantha cvs. Xaraés, BRS Piatã and BRS Paiaguás, Megathyrsus maximus cvs. Aruana and BRS Tamani; in the subplots, there were doses of glyphosate herbicide; 0.72 and 1.44 kg a.e. ha-1. The estimated control percentage was consisted of a grading scale from zero (fully living tiller) to 100 (fully dead tillers), assigned 7; 14; 21 and 28 days after herbicide application. The 0.72 kg a.e. ha-1 glyphosate dose was not effective for forage control, but it was possible to identify the most susceptible genotypes, such as U. ruziziensis and BRS Paiaguás. The 1.44 kg a.e. ha-1 dose was satisfactory in controlling (³80%) the grasses U. ruziziensis, U. brizantha cv. BRS Paiaguás and M. maximum cv. Aruana at 17, 18 and 18 days of desiccation intervals, respectively. In conclusion, the susceptibility of forage plants to herbicide glyphosate varies among species and cultivars. U. ruziziensis, BRS Paiaguás and Aruana grasses are desiccated with reduced herbicide doses and short desiccation intervals, and can contribute to the diversification of the forage used in integrated crop-livestock farming systems.

Occurrence of the anamorphic stage of Ophiocordyceps myrmicarum on a non-Formicidae insect in integrated crop-livestock farming systems

Abstract An enzootic is reported of Ophiocordyceps myrmicarum in field populations of a non-Formicidae insect, the brown shield stink bug Scaptocoris castanea (Hemiptera: Cydnidae). An on-farm epidemiological study was conducted in three previously established integrated crop-livestock systems (ICLSs), seen as sustainable approaches to farming intensification and characterized by rotation or succession of crops and pastures, as follows: (1) 4 y of annual crops (soybean in the summer and a cover crop in the winter), followed by 4 y of pasture (Panicum maximum and Cajanus cajan consortium); (2) 4 y of pasture and 4 y of annual crops (same species as before); (3) 3 y of pasture (Brachiaria brizantha) and 1 y of annual crops (same as before); as well as areas with either continuous pasture (Brachiaria decumbens) or continuous annual crops (same as before). The incidence of this fungus on S. castanea was monitored over a 2 y period, and areawide average infection levels of nymphs and adults were in the 39.7–89.6% and 65.0–98.1% ranges, respectively. Although the number of infected bugs was positively correlated to insect density, different ICLSs had minimal influence on the incidence of the disease. This is the first report of O. myrmicarum in its anamorphic stage (Hirsutella-like) causing infection on burrowing bugs, and the observed infection levels reported under different farming systems could lead to interest in assessment of its potential as a biological control agent of S. castanea, a severe pest of many pastures and crops in the Neotropical region.

Developing Integrated Crop-Livestock Farming System as a Strategy for Green Growth in Low Income Countries: A Brief Review

Today, low income countries around the world are promoting sustainable development through sustainable agricultural practices which will help them in addressing socio economic as well as environmental issues simultaneously. Integrated farming systems hold special position as in this system nothing is wasted, the byproduct of one system becomes the input for other. A green growth approach is the chance for emerging and developing countries to leapfrog unsustainable and inefficient production and consumption patterns. This paper explores crop-livestock farming system pattern drawn from developing countries as the green growth approach in order to push agriculture more sustainable in the future.

Determinants of farm diversification in integrated crop–livestock farming systems in Ghana

AbstractAgricultural diversification has been identified as one of the mechanisms for managing household food security and poverty in developing economies, because it can spread the risk among multiple production enterprises and provide a range of food items for the households. By examining the integrated farming systems of 608 smallholders in Ghana, this paper presents empirical evidence to support the development of effective strategies that enhance diversified farming systems. The estimated mean diversification indices were 0.45, 0.32 and 0.59 for crop, livestock and crop–livestock diversification systems, respectively. Using the Cragg two-step regression model, this paper shows that the decision to diversify and the extent of diversification are distinct decisions affected by different sets of factors. Likewise, the effect of these factors also varied across the three categories of diversification examined. Careful consideration needs to be given to the selection of factors and the methods for examining the diversification process to avoid confounding recommendations. The findings underscore the importance of households’ access to tillage equipment, fertilizers, credit and market information in encouraging farmers to diversify.

Integrating Crops and Livestock for Improved Food Security and Livelihoods in Rural Areas

An integrated crop-livestock farming system represents a key solution for enhancing livestock engenderment and safeguarding the environment through efficient resource use. The maintenance of an integrated crop-livestock system is dependent on the availability of adequate nutrients to sustain animals and plants. Animal manure alone cannot meet crop requisites even if it does contain the kind of nutrients needed because of its relatively low nutrient density and the inhibited quantity available to minute-scale farmers. Growing fodder legumes act as a supplement to crop residue, is the most practical and cost-efficacious method for ameliorating the alimental value of crop residues. Crop-pasture rotation system requires a substantial capital outlay for machinery and implements which can promote the adoption of a crop-livestock system. Veterinary accommodations are generally unable to reach poor minuscule farmers in remote areas. Intensification of agriculture through felicitous incorporation of minuscule livestock has the potential to decrement the land needed for agricultural engenderment.

Performance of indigenous and exotic×indigenous sheep breeds fed different diets in spring and the efficiency of feeding system in crop–livestock farming

SUMMARYGenetic variation in feed efficiency may have a significant impact on sheep production in integrated crop livestock farming systems in dry areas, where the shortage and poor quality of feed is widespread. Thus, the present study was carried out to investigate the effects of sheep genotype and feed source on liveweight gain, feed conversion efficiency and dry matter (DM) intake in feedlot lambs finished on diets based on low-cost forages or a high-cost concentrated feed as a means of assessing the efficiency of this feeding system. Early weaned lambs of the purebred fat-tailed Akkaraman breed were compared with synthetic Anatolian Merino (0·80 German Mutton Merino×0·20 Native Akkaraman) breed. The lambs were kept in individual pens for 8 weeks and fed four diets: daily harvested forages of triticale (T), Hungarian vetch (HV), a triticale-Hungarian vetch mixture (T+HV), and a concentrate-based feed (CF). Lamb liveweight gain (LWG) was monitored during the early (18 April–16 May) and late (17 May–13 June) spring periods. Diet×period and diet×breed interactions were detected in LWG of the lambs. Lambs from both genotypes on the concentrate-based diet had higher liveweight gains, DM intakes and better feed conversion ratios compared with lambs finished on the forage-based diets. The LWG of lambs offered triticale forage decreased from 177 g/head/day in the early spring to 95 g/head/day in the late spring period, as plant maturity increased. Liveweight gains did not change for the other forage rations during the same period. The LWG of Akkaraman lambs were similar for both the early (189 g/head/day) and the late (183 g/head/day) spring periods, whereas Anatolian Merino lambs gained 41 g/head/day less LW and had 3·8 higher feed conversion rate for the late spring period compared with the early spring period. The present study showed that fat-tailed Akkaraman lambs were better able to utilize forages with low nutritive value compared to Anatolian Merino lambs, and may be better suited to semi-arid areas, where crop and livestock are highly integrated in the farming system.

Soybean performance as affected by desiccation time of Urochloa ruziziensis and grazing pressures

Integrated crop-livestock farming system have demonstrated various economic and environmental advantages. However, there is lack of information on the effects of different desiccation times of Urochloa ruziziensis and grazing pressures on the soybean performance. This study aimed to evaluate the performance of three soybean cultivars, sown after different desiccation times of U. ruziziensis grazed at three heights during the 2012/13 growing season, in southern Brazil. The U. ruziziensis were continuously grazed for 6 months by 6, 4 and 2 animal units (AU) per hectare, leading to average pasture heights of 15; 35; and 50 cm, respectively. Each pasture height constituted a different experiment. The experiments were laid out using randomized complete block design (RCBD) with split-plot arrangement in four replications. The treatments consisted of four desiccation times (35; 28; 20; and 8 days before the soybean sowing), allocated in the main plots, and three soybean cultivars (Vmax RR; BMX Potência RR; and NA 5909 RR), distributed in the subplots. Increased interval between U. ruziziensis desiccation and soybean sowing resulted in higher soybean plant density and height, but the effects on soybean grain yields were not significant. The highest soybean grain yield was obtained when the pasture height was maintained in 35 cm, regardless of soybean cultivars. The performance of the three soybean cultivars was not influenced by the interaction between desiccation time and the pasture residue mass on the soil at soybean sowing, defined by the pasture height.

Integrated Farming System - An Ecofriendly Approach for Sustainable Agricultural Environment – A Review

Sustainable development in agriculture must include integrated farming system (IFS) with efficient soil, water crop and pest management practices, which are environmentally friendly and cost effective. In IFS, the waste of one enterprise becomes the input of another for making better use of resources. In integrated crop livestock farming system, crop residues can be used for animal feed, while manure from livestock can enhance agricultural productivity. IFS also play an important role in improving the soil health by increasing the nitrogen, phosphorous, organic carbon and microbial count of soil and thus, reduces the use of chemical fertilizers. Moreover, IFS components are known to control the weed and regarded as an important element of integrated pest management and thus minimizes the use of weed killers as well as pesticides and thus protects the environment. The water use efficiency and water quality of IFS was better than conventional system.

Optimizing resource use in integrated crop-livestock farming systems in Katsina State, Nigeria

The development of measures for improved crop-livestock integration requires an assessment of the present state of crop-livestock interaction and the potential for its improvement. This paper presents a mixed-integer programming model to determine the mix of crop and livestock activities that maximize gross return. The resource use efficiency and sensitivity of the optimal solutions to prescribed changes in some limited resources were also examined. Data were collected from 120 households in Katsina State of Nigeria during the 1998/99 cropping season. The model results demonstrate the rationality of the decision on the part of the households in allocating resources on their farms as the optimal plans did not deviate much from the dominant existing activities in the study area. The optimization through mixed integer programming resulted in an increase of about 65%, 30% and 134% in the gross margins as compared to that obtained in the existing farm organizations in zones I, II and III respectively. The relative contribution of livestock to gross return decreased as farm size was made to increase in the sensitivity analysis. The result also revealed that with large farm sizes, there are unused or inefficiently used livestock activities and resources. When labour and capital were further restricted, livestock activities were eliminated from the optimum plans in all the zones. It was therefore concluded that the potential for crop-livestock integration in the study area is limited and more applicable to the smallholder farming systems. Key words: Smallholder; optimum; resource use; crop – livestock; Nigeria Moor Journal of Agricultural Research Vol.4(2) 2003: 251-259

A survey on actual agricultural practices and their effects on the mineral nitrogen concentration of the soil solution

In intensive integrated crop-livestock farming systems, the surplus of N at the farm scale may be large and reflects on the N balance at the field scale. A study was conducted to assess the N fertilizer efficiency in four private farms in intensively cropped areas of NW Italy, and to monitor the effects of agricultural practices on the mineral N concentration of the soil solution, sampled every 2 weeks for 2 years and considered as an indicator of potential leaching. Two cultivation systems were compared in each farm, one involving continuous maize rotation, the other assuring a continuous soil cover (permanent meadow or winter cereal-maize double cropping system). The fertilization level in the arable crops was high (369–509 kg N ha −1 year −1) compared to the crop removals, and resulted in a low efficiency, as indicated by the four examined efficiency indexes (calculated N surplus, N removal-fertilizer ratio, N apparent recovery, N use efficiency). The soil-water-nitrate concentration showed large temporal variations in the range of 1–150 mg l −1 for five out of the eight cropping situations, while concentrations smaller than 10 mg l −1 were always recorded in the meadows and in one of the four soils (Aeric epiaquept). The fertilizer management that characterized each cropping system affected the soil-mineral-nitrate content in shallow arable soils. The longer soil cover duration in double-cropping systems did not result in a reduction of soil N compared to maize as a single crop, not even in winter (the bare-soil intercropping period in maize-based systems). However, the temporal oscillations of the concentration were buffered by the crop cover duration and by the presence of a shallow water table (1 m deep) in the soil profile. The average nitrate content of the soil could be predicted by the N uptake of the crop, the N removal–fertilizer ratio, the soil pH and sand content, however no simple explanatory relationship was found with the experimental factors. Hence, in farm conditions, in the absence of sufficient data for a deterministic model approach, the target of reducing the risk of leaching should be achieved by maximizing the fertilizer efficiency.