Managing Pastures for Optimum Soil Quality and Sustainability

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Managing Pastures for Optimum Soil Quality and
Sustainability

• Lesson 9 Activity 2

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Soil Quality is
the capacity of the soil to function.
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Integrates 3 Types of Soil Properties of the Soil

• Biological
• Chemical
• Physical

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2 Parts of Soil Quality

• Inherent Quality natural soil conditions
• Dynamic Quality soil conditions as influenced
  by human use and management.

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Measuring Parameters of Soil Quality with the
Soil Quality Test Kit

• Physical
• - Bulk density
• - Aggregate stability
• - Water holding capacity
• - Infiltration rate
• - Soil slake test

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Measuring Parameters of Soil Quality with the
Soil Quality Test Kit

• Chemical
• - pH
• - Electrical Conductivity
• - Nitrate

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Measuring Parameters of Soil Quality with the
Soil Quality Test Kit

• Biological
• - Respiration
• - Earthworms
• - Active Soil Carbon test
• - Scum Test

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• Attributes of Pastureland Soil Quality
• Plant production, reproduction, mortality
• Erosion
• Vegetation composition
• Water availability water quality
• Wildlife habitat
• Carbon sequestration
• Livestock health production
• Friability of the soil

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Common Soil Quality Concerns on Pastureland

• Low levels of soil organic matter
• Soil compaction
• Imbalances in the soil biological community
• Soil pH too low
• Nutrient deficiencies and excesses

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• How Does Soil Quality Relate to Pastureland
  Condition?
• They are interdependent.
• Pastureland condition is characterized by the
  capacity to which both the soil and plant
  communities function.
• The capacity of the soil to function influences
  ecological processes.

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• Pasture Condition Indicators
• Percent desirable plants
• Plant cover
• Plant diversity
• Plant residue
• Plant vigor
• Percent legume

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Pasture Condition Indicators(Continued)

• Soil compaction
• Erosion
• Soil fertility
• Soil pH (reaction)

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Pasture Condition Indicators(Continued)

• Uniformity of use
• Severity of use
• Site adaptation of desired forage species

• Tolerance of climatic stress
• Livestock concentration areas
• Disease insect pressure

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Grazing Management is the Key to Soil
Quality on Pastureland
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• In Conquest of the land through 7000 years, W. C.
  Loudermilk
• documents the value of soil stewardship for the
  sustainability of the ecosystem and the stability
  of society
• cites erosion from overgrazing and deforestation
  of the uplands and the associated sedimentation
  on the plains as primary culprits leading to the
  downfall of numerous civilizations

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Grazing Management Influences

• Vegetative cover distribution
• Species composition
• Soil organic matter
• Soil biology
• Deposition of nutrients
• Soil compaction
• Infiltration

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Contributors to Soil Organic Matter on Pastureland

• Residues from non-consumed forage
• Plant roots
• Feces from grazing animals
• Soil organisms
• Application of organic materials

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Plant Roots A Component of Pasture Ecology

• The amount of roots sloughing in a year ranges
  from 25 to 40 of the root biomass.
• - - - - - - - - - -
• Reduced root growth diminishes
• - the contribution of the root system to
  soil organic matter
• - plant health above ground biomass
  production
• - nutrient uptake and cycling
• - the soil biological community

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Depth of Rooting under Rotational Grazing and
Continuous Grazing Systems Bath County, Kentucky
Continuous
Rotational
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Rotationally Grazed Cool Season Pasture Bath
County, Kentucky
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Rotationally Grazed Cool Season Pasture Bath
County, Kentucky
Tall Fescue Tall Fescue Tall Fescue
Orchardgrass
Orchardgrass Fescue/Bluegrass Rotational
Continuous Continuous
Rotational Rotational
Rotational
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Continuously Grazed Tall Fescue Pasture, Bath
County, Kentucky
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Continuously Grazed Tall Fescue Pasture, Bath
County, Kentucky
Tall Fescue Tall Fescue Tall Fescue
Orchardgrass
Orchardgrass Fescue/Bluegrass Rotational
Continuous Continuous
Rotational Rotational
Rotational
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Continuously Grazed Tall Fescue Pasture, Bath
County, Kentucky
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Continuously Grazed Tall Fescue Pasture, Bath
County, Kentucky
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Continuously Grazed Tall Fescue Pasture, Bath
County, Kentucky
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Continuously Grazed Tall Fescue Pasture, Bath
County, Kentucky
Tall Fescue Tall Fescue Tall Fescue
Orchardgrass
Orchardgrass Fescue/Bluegrass Rotational
Continuous Continuous
Rotational Rotational
Rotational
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Rotationally Grazed Orchardgrass, Bath County,
Kentucky
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Rotationally Grazed Orchardgrass, Bath County,
Kentucky
Tall Fescue Tall Fescue Tall Fescue
Orchardgrass
Orchardgrass Fescue/Bluegrass Rotational
Continuous Continuous
Rotational Rotational
Rotational
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Rotationally Grazed-Intensively Managed
Orchardgrass, Bath County, Kentucky
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Rotationally Grazed-Intensively Managed
Orchardgrass, Bath County, Kentucky
Tall Fescue Tall Fescue Tall Fescue
Orchardgrass
Orchardgrass Fescue/Bluegrass Rotational
Continuous Continuous
Rotational Rotational
Rotational
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Rotationally Grazed-Intensively Managed
Orchardgrass, Bath County, Kentucky
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Rotationally Grazed/Hayed Tall Fescue-Bluegrass
Pasture, Bath County, Kentucky
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Rotationally Grazed/Hayed Tall Fescue-Bluegrass
Pasture, Bath County, Kentucky
Tall Fescue Tall Fescue Tall Fescue
Orchardgrass
Orchardgrass Fescue/Bluegrass Rotational
Continuous Continuous
Rotational Rotational
Rotational
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Foreground-Continuously Grazed Background-Rotation
ally Grazed
Foreground-Rotationally Grazed Background-Continuo
usly Grazed Different Kentucky Producers
Different Kentucky Producers
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• Value of Dung Beetles to Pasture Management
• Provide a small but remarkable role in the
  pastureland ecosystem
• Feed on manure and use it to provide housing and
  food for their young, subsequently improving
  nutrient cycling, soil structure and forage
  growth and decreasing certain animal pests

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• Benefits to production and the ecosystem
• Increased forage yields
• Improvements in soil organic matter, friability,
  aeration, and available water
• Reduction of insect pests that breed in animal
  feces
• Reduction of animal diseases
• Rapid cycling of nutrients
• Reduction loss of N from feces
• Reduced avoidance of grazing areas due to feces
  presence.

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Dung beetle populations are increased in
controlled grazing systems because manure is
concentrated in smaller areas. Dung beetle
larvae are susceptible to some insecticides used
for fly and internal parasite control. Selective
and judicious use of these will minimize adverse
effects on the population of dung beetles.
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Citizens of the Soil Community

• Plant roots and root nodules
• Earthworms
• Slugs and snails
• Nematodes
• Woodlice
• Centipedes and millipedes

• Spiders and mites Springtails
• Beetles
• Ants and termites
• Bacteria and Actinomycetes
• Protozoa
• Fungus

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Soil Citizens Provide Community Services

• Nitrogen fixation
• Nutrient cycling
• Soil structure and aeration

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• Earthworms
• Stimulate microbial activity
• Mix and aggregate soil
• Increase infiltration
• Improve water-holding capacity
• Provide channels for root growth
• Bury and shred plant residue

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Earthworms (3 niches)
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Soil Life
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Arthropods (Insects and Relatives)
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Bacteria

• Services
• Decomposition of OM
• Nutrient cycling
• Nitrogen fixation
• Nitrification
• Denitrification
• Disease Suppression
• Breakdown of hard to decompose compounds

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No mycorrhizae
With mycorrhizae
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Nutrients as a Soil Quality Concern

• Accumulation of excessive phosphorus where animal
  manures are applied
• Uneven distribution of nutrients deposited in
  urine and feces by grazing animals
• Soil pH outside the range for the forage species
  to be produced
• Building soil organic matter to provide a minimal
  stable bank of nutrients

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Considerations for Nutrient Distribution on
Pastureland

• A cow defecates 10 times per day and urinates 8
  12 times per day.
• A urination spot is equivalent to 500 to 1000 lbs
  of N/acre.
• A cow pie is equivalent to 200 700 lbs of
  N/acre.
• Congregating adds to uneven distribution.
• Buildup of N around water, shade, mineral
  supplements and supplemental feeding areas.

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Considerations for Nutrient Distribution on
Pastureland

• In large paddocks, animals tend to graze and
  lounge as a herd, visit water and shade as a
  herd.
• They distribute themselves more evenly in smaller
  paddocks and visit water and shade individually.
• Spread the visiting spots out so the herd travels
  throughout the pasture.
• When feasible, feed on the poorest areas and
  place water and shade in that area.

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Compaction as a Soil Quality Concern on
Pastureland

• Compacted soil limits root growth, seed
  germination, and infiltration.
• Bare soil is compacted (crusted) by rainfall.
• Compaction from hoof action is greatest on
  overgrazed pastures.
• Compaction may be significant when animals graze
  or equipment is operated on wet or saturated
  soils.

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Compaction as a Soil Quality Concern on
Pastureland

• Proper rest periods in a managed grazing system
  will facilitate amelioration of compacted soil by
  plant roots, animals, and soil organisms.
• Arrange pasture layout and the location and
  design of watering and supplemental feeding
  facilities to minimize the area of concentrated
  use.

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Management Needed for Pasture Ecology and Soil
Quality Considerations

• Proper grazing management
• - timing and intensity suitable for the forage
  mixture
• - proper recovery following grazing
• Rest of pastures to get cover for night crawlers
• Multi-species pastures
• - legumes for livestock and earthworms

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Management Needed for Pasture Ecology and Soil
Quality Considerations

• Inoculate legume seed with proper strain of
  bacteria
• Adequate but not excessive levels nutrient
  levels
• Soil pH of 5.8 to 7.0 depending on species
  composition
• Manage nutrients on the farm
• - recycle manure, urine organic residues

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Management Needed for Pasture Ecology and Soil
Quality Considerations

• Fly control friendly to dung beetles
• Weed control friendly to legumes and soil micro
  organisms
• Co-graze livestock
• - convert weeds to animal feed and manure

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Are you on the road to improved Pastureland Soil
Quality?
Left - Rotationally Grazed/Hayed, Right -
Continuously Grazed