Cover crops and livestock integration

In the southeastern U.S., the integration of cover crops and livestock is an established practice that takes advantage of optimal growing conditions for winter annual forages and their excellent nutritional quality for livestock consumption.  Particularly in north Florida and southern Georgia and Alabama, the use of annual cereals such as rye, oat or triticale in combination with ryegrass, has proved a very productive system for beef cattle grazing during the winter and spring. The advantage in terms of nutrient recycling and soil fertility of such cover crop systems on subsequent summer crops has been studied extensively.  Significant increases in soil organic carbon have been observed in the top layers of soil in a system that incorporates cattle grazing of warm season perennial grasses and winter annual forages into a rotation with cotton and peanuts.  These benefits are more evident in non-irrigated than irrigated cropping systems. When comparing grazed vs. non-grazed plots in a rotation including cotton, peanuts and cattle, significantly greater levels of extractable P, exchangeable K and acid and alkaline phosphatases were observed in the grazed plots, indicating efficient nutrient cycling and potential for greater nutrient availability for the following cotton crop. Farming systems that incorporate cattle grazing of cover winter crops have been demonstrated to be economically and environmentally sustainable while providing a high level of ecosystem services.