Mixed crop–livestock (MC–L) farming has gained broad consensus as an economically and environmentally sustainable farming system. Working on a Charolais-area suckler cattle farms network, we ...subdivided the 66 farms of a constant sample, for 2 years (2010 and 2011), into four groups: (i) ‘specialized conventional livestock farms’ (100% grassland-based farms (GF), n=7); (ii) ‘integrated conventional crop–livestock farms’ (specialized farms that only market animal products but that grow cereal crops on-farm for animal feed, n=31); (iii) ‘mixed conventional crop–livestock farms’ (farms that sell beef and cereal crops to market, n=21); and (iv) organic farms (n=7). We analyse the differences in structure and in drivers of technical, economic and environmental performances. The figures for all the farms over 2 years (2010 and 2011) were pooled into a single sample for each group. The farms that sell crops alongside beef miss out on potential economies of scale. These farms are bigger than specialized beef farms (with or without on-farm feed crops) and all types of farms show comparable economic performances. The big MC–L farms make heavier and consequently less efficient use of inputs. This use of less efficient inputs also weakens their environmental performances. This subpopulation of suckler cattle farms appears unable to translate a MC–L strategy into economies of scope. Organic farms most efficiently exploit the diversity of herd feed resources, thus positioning organic agriculture as a prototype MC–L system meeting the core principles of agroecology.
Soil phosphorus (P) utilization may be affected by agricultural complexity, in particular when combining annual crops and livestock grazing on the same land area and at overlapping times. Our ...objectives were to qualify and quantify soil organic and inorganic P compounds using sodium hydroxide-ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (NaOH-EDTA) extraction and 31P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (31P NMR) in response to increasing complexity with integrated crop-livestock systems (ICLS) in subtropical Brazil. Soil at a depth of 0–5cm was collected from three long-term (7 to 12years) cropping studies with and without ruminant grazing of cover crops. All sites were managed under no tillage, and treatments with livestock were managed with moderate grazing intensity. In these agro-ecosystems, grazing compared with no-grazing had greater soil P content as total and bioavailable orthophosphate and lower soil organic P and fewer monoesters, including inositol phosphates. Grazing increased P bioavailability and reduced recalcitrant organic P concentration in soil; therefore, cropping systems that integrate livestock (ICLS) can be a sustainable alternative to improve P use in farming systems of subtropical Brazil.
•Soil phosphorus composition was affected by agricultural complexity.•Greater agricultural complexity was achieved with grazing of winter cover crops.•Grazing of cover crops increased soil inorganic and bioavailable P content.•Grazing reduced soil organic P including myo- and scyllo-Inositol hexakisphosphate.
Integrated crop-livestock systems (ICLS) are more complex to properly manage than specialized farming systems due to multiple interactions between crops, livestock, and grassland. Despite individual ...and structural barriers to adopting sustainable ICLS, some innovative producers have successfully conducted integrated production practices. In this context, a research gap exists in understanding the motivations and incentives for transitioning to such systems. This study aims to address ICLS adoption barriers by analyzing the trajectory, achievements, and thought processes of 15 producers practicing ICLS. Our objectives were to (1) highlight producers’ perceptions of ICLS levers and barriers and (2) identify turning point factors that enabled producers to overcome the barriers. We used a unique set of cases in three continental regions (southern Brazil, the northern Great Plains region in the United States, and southern France) and conducted semi-structured interviews. Interviewees emphasized that ICLS imply dealing with barriers ranging from mindset change to operational adaptations, but they also emphasized the rewarding nature of ICLS when properly managed. All their trajectories had important turning points, such as programs or initiatives, human influence, and broader social and economic reasons that resulted in shifts in their production practices and thought processes. The cases also highlighted that integrating crops and livestock positively impacted family producers’ business outcomes, soil health, and livelihood options. Still, individual barriers, including operational management, and structural barriers, including stakeholder awareness and commitment, must be overcome. Encouraging initiatives that offer a systemic approach and promote knowledge exchange can address part of ICLS adoption barriers. Initiatives must embrace a broader innovation ecosystem, having extension teams in close contact with researchers and stakeholders to assist producers in providing support for a more sophisticated level of management that ICLS require. Overall, we found commonalities in consciousness and proactiveness in remarkable cases that could inspire broader sustainability transitions.
This study evaluated the varietal variability and interrelationship of the grain and stover yields, and stover quality characteristics of four common vetch varieties (three improved varieties and one ...local variety) used on the Tibetan Plateau. Stover quality attributes determined included chemical composition, in vitro true digestibility of dry matter (IVTD) and neutral detergent fibre (dNDF). The improved varieties were superior to the local variety in grain yield, harvest index and potential utility index (PUI). The wide ranges in the proportions of leaf (24.3%–34.6%), pod (22.0%–45.6%) and stem (29.5%–44.7%) fractions were observed. Significant varietal differences (p < .001) were observed for the whole‐stover content of crude protein CP; 78.1–101 g/kg dry matter (DM), neutral detergent fibre (aNDF; 520–564 g/kg DM), acid detergent fibre (ADF; 520–564 g/kg DM), IVTD (597–658 g/kg DM) and dNDF (305–384 g/kg aNDF). The leaf fraction had the highest levels of CP, IVTD and dNDF, while the highest contents of aNDF and ADF were observed in the stem fraction. Canonical correlation analysis showed that significant (p < .001) correlations between the quality attributes of whole stover and proportions and quality attributes of stover morphological fractions. Pearson correlation between the grain and stover yield was negative and significant (r = −.295; p = .001), while the correlations between the grain/stover yield and stover quality traits were positive or non‐significant. Ranking of the varieties differed when grain yield, PUI and stover quality scores were investigated. Of the varieties tested, Lanjian No.2 has the best potential for use as a ruminant feed, as indicated by PUI and stover quality.
Livestock are critical for incomes, livelihoods, nutrition and ecosystems management throughout the global South. Livestock production and the consumption of livestock-based foods such as meat, ...cheese, and milk is, however, under global scrutiny for its contribution to global warming, deforestation, biodiversity loss, water use, pollution, and land/soil degradation. This paper argues that, although the environmental footprint of livestock production presents a real threat to planetary sustainability, also in the global south, this is highly contextual. Under certain context-specific management regimes livestock can deliver multiple benefits for people and planet. We provide evidence that a move toward sustainable intensification of livestock production is possible and could mitigate negative environmental impacts and even provide critical ecosystem services, such as improved soil health, carbon sequestration, and enhanced biodiversity on farms. The use of cultivated forages, many improved through selection or breeding and including grasses, legumes and trees, in integrated crop-tree-livestock systems is proposed as a stepping stone toward agroecological transformation. We introduce cultivated forages, explain their multi-functionality and provide an overview of where and to what extent the forages have been applied and how this has benefited people and the planet alike. We then examine their potential to contribute to the 13 principles of agroecology and find that integrating cultivated forages in mixed crop-tree-livestock systems follows a wide range of agroecological principles and increases the sustainability of livestock production across the globe. More research is, however, needed at the food system scale to fully understand the role of forages in the sociological and process aspects of agroecology. We make the case for further genetic improvement of cultivated forages and strong multi-disciplinary systems research to strengthen our understanding of the multidimensional impacts of forages and for managing agro-environmental trade-offs. We finish with a call for action, for the agroecological and livestock research and development communities to improve communication and join hands for a sustainable agri-food system transformation.
Intensification and specialisation of agriculture in developed countries enabled productivity to be improved but had detrimental impacts on the environment and threatened the economic viability of a ...huge number of farms. The combination of livestock and crops, which was very common in the past, is assumed to be a viable alternative to specialised livestock or cropping systems. Mixed crop-livestock systems can improve nutrient cycling while reducing chemical inputs and generate economies of scope at farm level. Most assumptions underlying these views are based on theoretical and experimental evidence. Very few assessments of their environmental and economic advantages have nevertheless been undertaken in real-world farming conditions. In this paper, we present a comparative assessment of the environmental and economic performances of mixed crop-livestock farms v. specialised farms among the farm population of the French ‘Coteaux de Gascogne’. In this hilly region, half of the farms currently use a mixed crop-livestock system including beef cattle and cash crops, the remaining farms being specialised in either crops or cattle. Data were collected through an exhaustive survey of farms located in our study area. The economic performances of farming systems were assessed on 48 farms on the basis of (i) overall gross margin, (ii) production costs and (iii) analysis of the sensitivity of gross margins to fluctuations in the price of inputs and outputs. The environmental dimension was analysed through (i) characterisation of farmers’ crop management practices, (ii) analysis of farm land use diversity and (iii) nitrogen farm-gate balance. Local mixed crop-livestock farms did not have significantly higher overall gross margins than specialised farms but were less sensitive than dairy and crop farms to fluctuations in the price of inputs and outputs considered. Mixed crop-livestock farms had lower costs than crop farms, while beef farms had the lowest costs as they are grass-based systems. Concerning crop management practices, our results revealed an intensification gradient from low to high input farming systems. Beyond some general trends, a wide range of management practices and levels of intensification were observed among farms with a similar production system. Mixed crop-livestock farms were very heterogeneous with respect to the use of inputs. Nevertheless, our study revealed a lower potential for nitrogen pollution in mixed crop-livestock and beef production systems than in dairy and crop farming systems. Even if a wide variability exists within system, mixed crop-livestock systems appear to be a way for an environmental and economical sustainable agriculture.
A pesquisa sobre Sistema Integrado de Produção Agropecuária tem experimentado crescente importância no Brasil. Há incremento no número de publicações neste tópico, refletindo seu renovado interesse. ...No entanto, a literatura brasileira que referencia esse sistema é confusa, por causa de diferentes termos, siglas e conceitos utilizados. Muitas publicações refletem características regionais, sem aderência à terminologia internacional. Há necessidade de avançar no uso de terminologias e definições mais precisas, visando garantir clareza na comunicação nacional e internacional. O objetivo deste artigo é desenvolver consenso para esclarecer definições e terminologias a serem adotadas na descrição do Sistema Integrado de Produção Agropecuária. A regra proposta é usar a terminologia adotada pela Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations como referência. Espera-se que os termos e definições discutidos tornem-se padrão para uso em publicações referentes a esse sistema, e auxiliem para uniformidade de uso na língua portuguesa e de palavras-chave usadas para indexação internacional. Por fim, espera-se que essa padronização ajude na apropriada comunicação em áreas como ciência, educação e indústria, a fim de promover essa tecnologia como caminho a seguir visando à intensificação sustentável na produção de alimentos.
Livelihood transitions in most agricultural nations are conditioned by changes in both human and climate systems. In the Philippines, climate change related extreme weather events such as typhoons, ...floods, and droughts have detrimental impacts on crop production and have significantly affected the livelihoods of cash crop focused rural villages. A shift from crop to livestock production is emerging as a buffer activity to recover from crop losses; however, whether this adaptive response is viable is still unexplored. The aim of this study is to understand how farmers perceive water buffalo as a transformative opportunity and how they use water buffalo in the adaptation process to sustain their livelihoods when the climate becomes more volatile. Data were collected from farming villages in the Nueva Ecija province, the Philippines using mixed methods. It was found that farmers' livelihood patterns evolved as economic consequences of recurrent crop failures caused by typhoons, flooding, and dry spells. Farmers' changed their farming activities as an adaptive response driven by past experiences of climatic changes, farmers' social relations, household capacity, and resources available. The increasing trend of shifting to water buffalo dairying demonstrated farmers' preferences for less risky sources of income in lieu of the opportunities and options available. Thus, local adaptation can be understood to be an outcome of both farmers’ livelihood survival strategies and the institutional dynamics in their localities. The results imply a need to integrate adaptation programs that are linked to local livelihood development, particularly in the Carabao Development Program (CDP). This study concludes by suggesting issues to be considered for water buffalo dairying as a viable adaptation option for climate-resilient livelihoods.
•The study examined the livelihood adaptation process of smallholders in the Philippines.•Empirical findings show a shifting focus from cropping to water buffalo dairying across villages.•Milking water buffaloes serves as a buffer activity against income and climate extreme shocks.•Farmers voluntary take adaptation actions that reflect the dynamics of their livelihoods.•Integrating adaptation into existing water buffalo development program is suggested for smallholders’ climate-resilient livelihoods.
Determinants of the use of cereal and pulse residue for livestock feeding and soil mulching among smallholder farmers in the mixed farming system were analyzed. Crop residue (CR) is dual purpose ...resources in the mixed crop–livestock systems of the Ethiopian highlands. They serve as livestock feed and inputs for soil and water conservation. They are generated predominantly from cereals and pulses. However, in view of the allocation of CR, soil conservation and livestock are two competing enterprises. Identifying the determinants of the intensity of use of cereal and pulse residue may help in designing strategies for more efficient CR utilization. Data on CR were generated and its utilization was collected in two highland regions in Ethiopia from 160 households using a structured questionnaire. The data were analyzed using the multivariate Tobit model. Results of the study showed that farmers prefer using CR from pulses over CR from cereals for livestock feeding purposes. The proportion of CR from pulses that was used as feed was positively affected by education level of the farmer, livestock extension service, number of small ruminants and CR production from the previous season. Distance of farm plots from residences of the farm households negatively affected the proportions of cereal and pulse residue used for feed. The use of pulse residue increased significantly when the women participated in decision making on CR utilization. The proportion of cereal and pulse residue used for soil mulch was positively affected by the education level of the farmer, the distance between the homestead and the cultivated land, extension service, awareness about soil mulch, the slope of cultivated land, participation in farmer-to-farmer extension and CR generated in the preceding season. In view that pulse CR have better nutritive value compared with cereal CR, better utilization of CR could be achieved by maximizing the use of pulse residue as livestock feed and optimizing the use of cereal residue as soil mulch. More livestock extension on the nutritive value of pulse residue should be provided to the farmers who cultivate sloppy plots. Encouraging the culture of labor exchange among the farmers could result in increased labor availability in the farms that would facilitate the transport and storage of pulse residue and increase its use as livestock feed. Increasing the awareness among farmers about the superiority of the pulse residue over cereal residue as feed and encouraging use of cereal residue as soil mulch could optimize the utilization of CR in the household.
Despite shrinking pastureland in the central highlands of Ethiopia, as a result of cropping, there has been little detailed work to evaluate effects of traditional grazing land management practices ...on vegetation and soil attributes. This study aimed to quantify vegetation structure, aboveground biomass yield and soil quality, as a result of the impact of enclosure and open access management practices by using a sampling quadrat. Aboveground biomass yield for the grass species was 17.6 and 31.2% higher, respectively, for the highland and mid-highland agro-ecologies for enclosed areas, compared with open-access grazing. Andropogon amethystinus (Important value index (IVI) = 86.9) and Pennisetum thunbergii (IVI = 79.2), the most dominant and highest density, found in the enclosed areas decreased from open access grazing land and replaced by more resistant to continuous heavy grazing, like Eleusine floccifolia (IVI = 125.7) in the mid-highland area. Herbaceous species richness was better in open access grazing land than the enclosed areas. Soil quality parameters, such as total nitrogen, available phosphorous, calcium, sodium and cation exchange capacity, were significantly higher for enclosed areas than open access practice. In conclusion, enclosed areas performed greater in most of the parameters considered than open access grazing land management practices at both agro-ecologies.
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