Acta Scientiarum. Agronomy · 2024
Crop-livestock integration systems mitigate soil compaction and increase soybean yield
Lima, J. D. P., Silva, J. F. G., Linhares, A. J. D. S., Costa, K. A. D. P., Ferreira, C. J. B., Severiano, E. D. C.
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Crop-livestock integration systems mitigate soil compaction …
Abstract
The use of integrated agricultural production systems has been expanded due to the multiple functions they perform. Although soil structural studies have elucidated the relationship of these systems with plant development, adjustments are needed to incorporate the diversity of management systems employed. Thus, the hypothesis of this study was that integrated cropping systems mitigate soil structural degradation and increase the agronomic performance of crops. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the biological soil loosening potential containing paiaguás grass and the effectiveness of integrated systems in promoting the agronomic performance of soybean plants and to model the least limiting water range (LLWR) considering the adopted management regimes. An experiment was performed based on a randomized block and split-plot design. In the plots, the traffic intensity (0, 2, 10, and 30 passes of an agricultural tractor. In the subplots, soybean cultivation was performed under the three management systems (simple: monoculture grains; integrated: intercropping between grass and grains; and pasture in monoculture). The following soil physical quality indicators were determined: bulk density (Bd) and LLWR; these indicators are related to phenological development attributes and soybean productivity. The integrated agricultural production systems promoted biological soil loosening and improved soybean yield. The use of Paiaguás grass in monoculture enhanced edaphic benefits and enabled greater grain production compared to grain monocropping. The least limiting water range was an efficient parameter for modeling the physical behavior of the soil, and the application of the LLWR was improved by considering penetration resistance reference values specific to each management system. Our results highlight the soundness of using the LLWR in evaluating the response of soybean to physical changes in soil due to compaction, and the reference values for penetration resistance contribute to greater accuracy in the LLWR and the physical diagnosis of soil properties.
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The use of integrated agricultural production systems has been expanded due to the multiple functions they perform. Although soil structural studies have elucidated the relationship of these systems with plant development, adjustments are needed to incorporate the diversity of management systems employed. Thus, the hypothesis of this study was that integrated cropping systems mitigate soil structural degradation and increase the agronomic performance of crops. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the biological soil loosening potential containing paiaguás grass and the effectiveness of integrated systems in promoting the agronomic performance of soybean plants and to model the least limiting water range (LLWR) considering the adopted management regimes. An experiment was performed based on a randomized block and split-plot design. In the plots, the traffic intensity (0, 2, 10, and 30 passes of an agricultural tractor. In the subplots, soybean cultivation was performed under the three management systems (simple: monoculture grains; integrated: intercropping between grass and grains; and pasture in monoculture). The following soil physical quality indicators were determined: bulk density (Bd) and LLWR; these indicators are related to phenological development attributes and soybean productivity. The integrated agricultural production systems promoted biological soil loosening and improved soybean yield. The use of Paiaguás grass in monoculture enhanced edaphic benefits and enabled greater grain production compared to grain monocropping. The least limiting water range was an efficient parameter for modeling the physical behavior of the soil, and the application of the LLWR was improved by considering penetration resistance reference values specific to each management system. Our results highlight the soundness of using the LLWR in evaluating the response of soybean to physical changes in soil due to compaction, and the reference values for penetration resistance contribute to greater accuracy in the LLWR and the physical diagnosis of soil properties.
The use of integrated agricultural production systems has been expanded due to the multiple functions they perform. Although soil structural studies have elucidated the relationship of these systems with plant development, adjustments are needed to incorporate the diversity of management systems employed. Thus, the hypothesis of this study was that integrated cropping systems mitigate soil structural degradation and increase the agronomic performance of crops. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the biological soil loosening potential containing paiaguás grass and the effectiveness of integrated systems in promoting the agronomic performance of soybean plants and to model the least limiting water range (LLWR) considering the adopted management regimes. An experiment was performed based on a randomized block and split-plot design. In the plots, the traffic intensity (0, 2, 10, and 30 passes of an agricultural tractor. In the subplots, soybean cultivation was performed under the three management systems (simple: monoculture grains; integrated: intercropping between grass and grains; and pasture in monoculture). The following soil physical quality indicators were determined: bulk density (Bd) and LLWR; these indicators are related to phenological development attributes and soybean productivity. The integrated agricultural production systems promoted biological soil loosening and improved soybean yield. The use of Paiaguás grass in monoculture enhanced edaphic benefits and enabled greater grain production compared to grain monocropping. The least limiting water range was an efficient parameter for modeling the physical behavior of the soil, and the application of the LLWR was improved by considering penetration resistance reference values specific to each management system. Our results highlight the soundness of using the LLWR in evaluating the response of soybean to physical changes in soil due to compaction, and the reference values for penetration resistance contribute to greater accuracy in the LLWR and the physical diagnosis of soil properties.
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.
bulk density
2
- increase
integrated agricultural production systems, intercropped and pasture monoculture vs. grains in monoculturesignificance not stated · 0–20 cm · 2014/2015 · experimental farm of the Instituto Federal Goiano · T0/no added traffic, previously tilled soil; agreeing grass variants. Methods cores0-20cm; LLWRfigures refer0-15cm. Global regression comparisons do not test a single traffic intensity.
Numbers
- percent_change 5 · intercropped,T0
- percent_change 6 · pasture monoculture,T0
Source · p. 9 “With no traffic (T0), there was an increase in Bd of 5 and 6% in the intercropped and pasture in monoculture system relative to grains in monoculture”
- decrease
integrated agricultural production systems, intercropped and pasture monoculture vs. grains in monoculturesignificance not stated · 0–20 cm · 2014/2015 · experimental farm of the Instituto Federal Goiano · T2,T10,T30 added traffic; agreeing intercropped/pasture variants; pointwise significance not tested. Table2 differences of whole fitted curves not each traffic-level pair. Methods soil cores0-20cm.
Source · p. 6 “The use of integrated agricultural production systems promoted increases in Bd in previously tilled soil”
Source · p. 6 “(T0) and reductions in all traffic intensities, with Bd being more effective with pasturing in monoculture”
Source · p. 10 “The inclusion of this grass reduced Bd under high compaction conditions”
least limiting water range
1
- increase
integrated agricultural production systems, intercropped and pasture monoculture vs. grains in monoculturesignificance not stated · 0–15 cm · 2014/2015 · experimental farm of the Instituto Federal Goiano · 0-15cm as Fig4 caption; T0,T10,T30 only, RP2.5MPa standardized LLWR. Measured-soil derived management result, not recalculated system-specific diagnostic simulations. No pointwise tests/letters.
Numbers
- percent_change 68 · intercropped,T10
- percent_change 74 · pasture monoculture,T10
- percent_change 23 · intercropped,T30
- percent_change 32 · pasture monoculture,T30
Source · p. 6 “There was an increase in the LLWR when Paiaguás grass was cultivated in the off-season in the T0 (main limitation: low water retention), T10 and T30 treatment (strongly affected by high PR).”
soybean grain yield
1
- increase
integrated agricultural production systems, intercropped and pasture monoculture vs. grains in monoculturesignificance not stated · 2014/2015soybean · experimental farm of the Instituto Federal Goiano · Intercropped and preceding grass pasture variants; across experimental traffic conditions, author-reported performance summary. Figure5F regression stars not between-management tests; printed fitted maxima not means.
Source · p. 8 “Plant height (Figure 5A), number of pods per plant (5C) and grain yield (5F) were affected by the two factors evaluated, with superior performance for the intercropped system and pasture in monoculture.”
Plant height
1
- increase
integrated agricultural production systems, intercropped and pasture monoculture vs. grains in monoculturesignificance not stated · 2014/2015soybean · experimental farm of the Instituto Federal Goiano · Grass-containing variants; management performance summary across compaction treatments, not fitted maxima as measured group means. Figure5A no management pairwise letters.
Source · p. 8 “Plant height (Figure 5A), number of pods per plant (5C) and grain yield (5F) were affected by the two factors evaluated, with superior performance for the intercropped system and pasture in monoculture.”
number of pods per plant
1
- increase
integrated agricultural production systems, intercropped and pasture monoculture vs. grains in monoculturesignificance not stated · 2014/2015soybean · experimental farm of the Instituto Federal Goiano · Grass-containing variants; management performance summary across compaction treatments. Figure5C regression stars not tests between systems; no chart means.
Source · p. 8 “Plant height (Figure 5A), number of pods per plant (5C) and grain yield (5F) were affected by the two factors evaluated, with superior performance for the intercropped system and pasture in monoculture.”
number of nodes per plant (scars per plant)
↑ 11
- increase
integrated agricultural production systems, intercropped and pasture monoculture vs. grains in monoculturesignificant · 2014/2015 soybean · experimental farm of the Instituto Federal Goiano · Intercropping and preceding Paiaguas grass monoculture, agreeing variants; management means across traffic intensities. Figure5B a/a versus grain b; numeric test alpha not stated for these letters.
Source · p. 8 “For the number of nodes per plant (5B), only the crop-livestock integration systems had an effect; again, there was superior performance compared to grain monoculture”
Source · p. 7 “B: number of scars per plant”
number of grains per pod
= 11
- no effect
integrated agricultural production systems, intercropped and pasture monoculture vs. grains in monoculturenot significant · 2014/2015 soybean · experimental farm of the Instituto Federal Goiano · Intercropping and preceding Paiaguas grass monoculture, agreeing variants; management means across traffic intensities. Figure5D all three management labels a, not merely a nonsignificant traffic regression. Numeric pairwise alpha not stated.
Source · p. 8 “while for the number of grains per pod (5D) and weight of 1,000 grains (5E), no differences were found.”
Source · p. 7 “D: number of grains per pod”
weight of 1000 grains
= 11
- no effect
integrated agricultural production systems, intercropped and pasture monoculture vs. grains in monoculturenot significant · 2014/2015 soybean · experimental farm of the Instituto Federal Goiano · Intercropping and preceding Paiaguas grass monoculture, agreeing variants; management means across traffic intensities. Figure5E all three management labels a, not merely a nonsignificant traffic regression. Numeric pairwise alpha not stated.
Source · p. 8 “while for the number of grains per pod (5D) and weight of 1,000 grains (5E), no differences were found.”
Source · p. 7 “E: weight of 1,000 grains”
Set-up
Treatments
- management systemsIntegrated crop-livestock
- integrated agricultural production systems, intercropped and pasture monocultureIntegrated crop-livestockgrains in monocultureMonoculture
- traffic intensityField traffic
- T0: no additional trafficNo field trafficT2: two passesField trafficT10: ten passesField trafficT30: thirty passesField traffic
Measured
- bulk density
- Unit
- kg dm-3
- least limiting water range
- Unit
- dm3 dm-3
- Method
- Standard2.5MPa lower penetration threshold,FC6kPa/PWP1.5MPa and .10aeration; measured-soil derived index
- soybean grain yieldYield
- Unit
- Mg ha-1
- Plant height
- Unit
- cm
- number of pods per plantPod number
- Unit
- pods plant-1
- number of nodes per plant (scars per plant)Stem node number
- Unit
- nodes plant-1
- Method
- Ten plants per subplot; count of scars with and without pods.
- number of grains per podGrain number
- Unit
- grains pod-1
- weight of 1000 grainsThousand kernel weight
- Unit
- g
- Method
- Corrected to 13% moisture.
Sites
experimental farm of the Instituto Federal Goiano
- Location
- Rio Verde, Goiás State, Brazil17.81° S, 50.90° W
- Climate
- Aw25 °C mean annual temperature1,600 mm annual precipitation
- Soil
- Haplustox (Typic) · USDA
- Land use
- production fieldArable land
| Depth | Texture | Clay | pH | Organic C | Bulk density |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–20 cm | clayey | 45 % (from g/kg) | 5.5 | – | – |
| 20–40 cm | – | 46.8 % (from g/kg) | – | – | – |
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