Land · 2025
Effect of Rotational Grazing on Soil Quality and Animal Behavior in an Integrated Crop–Livestock (ICL) System on Small Subtropical Farms
Antoneli, V., Martini Gamba, L., Bednarz, J. A., Corrales Marmol, M. P., Vrahnakis, M., Kastridis, A., Zaimes, G. N.
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Effect of Rotational Grazing on Soil Quality and Animal Beha…
Abstract
The usage of land on small farms in subtropical regions varies with climatic conditions. Agricultural cultivation typically occurs during the spring and summer (of the southern hemisphere), with tobacco being the primary crop on most small farms. During these seasons, livestock graze in pastures and woodlots. After the tobacco harvest (March), farmers plant winter cover crops, and by May, livestock is moved from the pastures to the agricultural areas. This study aimed to examine how grazing influences soil density, water infiltration rates, and animal behavior across different land types (pasture, native forest, eucalyptus reforestation, and agriculture) during the tobacco-growing season, and the off-season when grazing occurs on agricultural lands. It was found that forage availability and climatic conditions determined grazing duration in pastures and forests, under Integrated Crop–Livestock (ICL) systems. Higher forage volume in the agriculture area reduced grazing time and increased resting periods. Eucalyptus reforestation areas had the best soil conditions due to minimal grazing occurring there. An increase in soil bulk density and a decrease in water infiltration rates were observed at the end of the grazing period in both pasture and woodland areas. Year-round ICL systems appear to enhance soil quality through fallow periods, improving forage availability, soil moisture retention, and water infiltration as well.
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The usage of land on small farms in subtropical regions varies with climatic conditions. Agricultural cultivation typically occurs during the spring and summer (of the southern hemisphere), with tobacco being the primary crop on most small farms. During these seasons, livestock graze in pastures and woodlots. After the tobacco harvest (March), farmers plant winter cover crops, and by May, livestock is moved from the pastures to the agricultural areas. This study aimed to examine how grazing influences soil density, water infiltration rates, and animal behavior across different land types (pasture, native forest, eucalyptus reforestation, and agriculture) during the tobacco-growing season, and the off-season when grazing occurs on agricultural lands. It was found that forage availability and climatic conditions determined grazing duration in pastures and forests, under Integrated Crop–Livestock (ICL) systems. Higher forage volume in the agriculture area reduced grazing time and increased resting periods. Eucalyptus reforestation areas had the best soil conditions due to minimal grazing occurring there. An increase in soil bulk density and a decrease in water infiltration rates were observed at the end of the grazing period in both pasture and woodland areas. Year-round ICL systems appear to enhance soil quality through fallow periods, improving forage availability, soil moisture retention, and water infiltration as well.
The usage of land on small farms in subtropical regions varies with climatic conditions. Agricultural cultivation typically occurs during the spring and summer (of the southern hemisphere), with tobacco being the primary crop on most small farms. During these seasons, livestock graze in pastures and woodlots. After the tobacco harvest (March), farmers plant winter cover crops, and by May, livestock is moved from the pastures to the agricultural areas. This study aimed to examine how grazing influences soil density, water infiltration rates, and animal behavior across different land types (pasture, native forest, eucalyptus reforestation, and agriculture) during the tobacco-growing season, and the off-season when grazing occurs on agricultural lands. It was found that forage availability and climatic conditions determined grazing duration in pastures and forests, under Integrated Crop–Livestock (ICL) systems. Higher forage volume in the agriculture area reduced grazing time and increased resting periods. Eucalyptus reforestation areas had the best soil conditions due to minimal grazing occurring there. An increase in soil bulk density and a decrease in water infiltration rates were observed at the end of the grazing period in both pasture and woodland areas. Year-round ICL systems appear to enhance soil quality through fallow periods, improving forage availability, soil moisture retention, and water infiltration as well.
Findings
What changed what, as the paper reports it. Grouped by the measured property. The largest groups are open; open the others as you need them.
soil bulk density
↑ 3= 36
- increase
cattle grazing, end of observed grazing phase vs. pre-grazing rested baselinesignificant · 0–30 cm · end versus beginning of grazing phase; calendar dates conflict across methods · Boa Vista River Basin farm, Guamiranga · Pasture,0–30cm as stated in results; seasonal grazing versus rested baseline, no independent control
Source · p. 8 “At the end of the grazing period, an increase in soil bulk density was observed down to a depth of 30 cm in the pasture area”
Source · p. 8 “(B) pasture”
- increase
cattle grazing, end of observed grazing phase vs. pre-grazing rested baselinesignificant · 0–20 cm · end versus beginning of grazing phase; dates inconsistent · Boa Vista River Basin farm, Guamiranga · Agricultural tobacco/oat land,0–20cm; Figure6A differentletters at0/10cm, same from20cm; pre-grazing baseline includes tillage
Source · p. 8 “In agricultural land specifically, soil bulk density at the end of the grazing period was 58% higher than at the beginning, although no significant variation was observed below the 20 cm depth.”
- no effect
cattle grazing, end of observed grazing phase vs. pre-grazing rested baselinenot significant · 20–40 cm · end versus beginning of grazing phase; dates inconsistent · Boa Vista River Basin farm, Guamiranga · Agricultural land,20–40cm; Figure6A a/a at20/30/40cm; no significant change below20cm
Source · p. 8 “although no significant variation was observed below the 20 cm depth.”
- increase
cattle grazing, end of observed grazing phase vs. pre-grazing rested baselinesignificant · 0–10 cm · end versus beginning of grazing phase; dates inconsistent · Boa Vista River Basin farm, Guamiranga · Native forest, surface0–10cm; Figure6C differentletters at surface. No blanket deep direction; deepest plotted pair internally inconsistent
Source · p. 11 “there was an increase in soil density of about 83%, while in the forest, the alteration was only observed in the surface layer of the soil.”
Source · p. 8 “(C) native forest”
- no effect
cattle grazing, end of observed grazing phase vs. pre-grazing rested baselinenot significant · 0–20 cm · end versus beginning of grazing phase; dates inconsistent · Boa Vista River Basin farm, Guamiranga · Eucalyptus reforestation,0–20cm; limited animal visitation; Figure6D a/a, no claim for ambiguous deeper points
Source · p. 8 “In the eucalyptus reforestation area, soil density remained stable in the upper layers (0–20 cm), with no significant changes between the two sampling periods.”
- no effect
cattle grazing, end of observed grazing phase vs. pre-grazing rested baselinenot significant · 10–30 cm · end versus beginning of the observed grazing period; calendar dates inconsistent across methods · Boa Vista River Basin farm, Guamiranga · Native forest only; shared a/a letters at plotted 10,20,30cm in Figure6C. Reported depth positions10-30cm, not an inferred mapping to method sampling intervals: methods give four intervals but Figure6 plots five positions. Complements the existing surface increase. The40cm point is excluded because coincident means have different letters. Before/after seasonal grazing, no simultaneous ungrazed control.
Source · p. 11 “while in the forest, the alteration was only observed in the surface layer of the soil.”
Source · p. 8 “Comparison of soil bulk density between the beginning and the end of grazing”
within-hour water infiltration rate
↓ 1= 23
- decrease
cattle grazing, end of observed grazing phase vs. pre-grazing rested baselinesignificant · early part of1h infiltration test in beginning/end grazing campaigns · Boa Vista River Basin farm, Guamiranga · Agriculture first40min; forest and pasture first15min. Figure7A–C end lower; tests text-specific to these windows, not one-hour total
Source · p. 9 “The infiltration rate showed significant variation for up to 40 min of monitoring in agricultural land; after this period, the values were similar. In forest and pasture, this variation occurred for up to 15 min, indicating similarity after that period.”
- no effect
cattle grazing, end of observed grazing phase vs. pre-grazing rested baselinenot significant · late part of1h infiltration test in beginning/end grazing campaigns · Boa Vista River Basin farm, Guamiranga · Agriculture after40–60min; forest/pasture after15–60min; rates converge despite significant early differences
Source · p. 9 “The infiltration rate showed significant variation for up to 40 min of monitoring in agricultural land; after this period, the values were similar. In forest and pasture, this variation occurred for up to 15 min, indicating similarity after that period.”
- no effect
cattle grazing, end of observed grazing phase vs. pre-grazing rested baselinenot significant · full1h infiltration tests,beginning/end grazing campaigns · Boa Vista River Basin farm, Guamiranga · Eucalyptus reforestation,limited animal access; no significant difference between collection periods
Source · p. 9 “The eucalyptus reforestation did not show significant variation between the two collection periods (Figure 7).”
forage availability (fresh aboveground biomass)
↓ 1= 12
- decrease
cattle grazing, end of observed grazing phase vs. pre-grazing rested baselinesignificant · end versus beginning of grazing phase; forage dates conflict across sections · Boa Vista River Basin farm, Guamiranga · Pasture and agricultural oat area; Figure5 uppercaseA/B for each; agricultural prose reverses beginning/end, actual figure shows end lower
Source · p. 7 “Forage availability in the pasture was 81% lower at the end compared to the beginning of the grazing period (Figure 5).”
Source · p. 7 “| Agriculture | aA | aB |”
- no effect
cattle grazing, end of observed grazing phase vs. pre-grazing rested baselinenot significant · end versus beginning of grazing phase; forage dates conflict · Boa Vista River Basin farm, Guamiranga · Native forest and eucalyptus reforestation; Figure5 uppercaseA/A for each; forest prose claims significant reduction but figure pair letters show no significant difference
Source · p. 7 “In contrast, no significant variation was observed in the eucalyptus reforestation area, with forage availability remaining relatively stable”
Source · p. 7 “| Forest | cA | abA |”
Source · p. 7 “| Eucalyptus | dA | bA |”
one-hour total infiltration (reported rate)
1
- decrease
cattle grazing, end of observed grazing phase vs. pre-grazing rested baselinesignificance not stated · beginning/end grazing; September2023/March2024 in infiltration methods, other dates conflict · Boa Vista River Basin farm, Guamiranga · Agricultural land,one-hour total; total test not supplied;99.6% reduction erroneous and not recorded
Numbers
- treatment 29.8 vs. control 59.5 mm/h (-49.92 %)
Source · p. 8 “At the beginning of grazing, total infiltration in agriculture was”
Source · p. 9 “59.5 mm h−1, while at the end of grazing, it decreased to 29.8 mm h−1”
Set-up
Treatments
- seasonal grazing within integrated crop–livestock systemRotational grazing
- cattle grazing, end of observed grazing phaseRotational grazingpre-grazing rested baselineNo grazing
Measured
- soil bulk densityBulk density
- Unit
- g/cm3
- Method
- 100cm3 volumetric ring, oven105°C24h; four sampled0–10/10–20/20–30/30–40cm intervals but Figure6 plots five depth positions
- forage availability (fresh aboveground biomass)Aboveground biomass
- Unit
- t/ha
- Method
- Fresh1m2 clipped aboveground forage;10points/campaign methods versus n16 figure caption
- within-hour water infiltration rateWater infiltration rate
- Unit
- mm per5min (Figure7 axis mm), mm/h (results wording)
- Method
- Double-ring infiltrometer,5min readings for1h,6points/landtype/campaign; beginning/end grazing comparison
- one-hour total infiltration (reported rate)Water infiltration rate
- Unit
- mm/h
- Method
- Total infiltration reported for1h; units retained as printed, not relabeled cumulative depth
Sites
Boa Vista River Basin farm, Guamiranga
- Location
- Boa Vista River Basin, municipality of Guamiranga, S.E. Paraná region, Brazil25.14° S, 50.89° W
- Climate
- Cfb1,623 mm annual precipitation
- Land use
- ombrophile mixed native Araucaria forestMixed forest, pasture (perennial grassland)Pastures and managed grassland, agricultural landArable land, Eucalyptus reforestationBroad-leaved forest
- Management on the whole site
- tobacco cultivationTobacco/Nicotiana sp., leveling harrowHarrowing
| Depth | Texture | Clay | pH | Organic C | Bulk density |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–10 cm | clay loam | 38 % | 5.6 | – | – |
| 0–10 cm | clay | 44 % | 5.9 | – | – |
| 0–10 cm | clay | 45 % | 6.1 | – | – |
| 0–10 cm | clay | 40 % | 5.8 | – | – |
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