Integrating the pastoral component in agricultural systems

This paper aims to discuss the impact of the introduction of pastures and grazing animals in agricultural systems. For the purposes of this manuscript, we focus on within-farm integrated crop-livestock systems (ICLS), typical of Southern Brazil. These ICLS are designed to create and enhance the synergisms and emergent properties have arisen from agricultural areas where livestock activities are integrated with crops. We show that the introduction of the crop component will affect less the preceding condition than the introduction of the livestock component. While the introduction of crops in pastoral systems represents increasing diversity of the plant component, the introduction of animals would represent the entry of new flows and interactions within the system. Thus, given the new complexity levels achieved from the introduction of grazing, the probability of arising emergent properties is theoretically much higher. However, grazing management is vital in determining the success or failure of such initiative. The grazing intensity practiced during the pasture phase would affect the canopy structure and the forage availability to animals. In adequate and moderate grazing intensities, it is possible to affirm that livestock combined with crops (ICLS) has a potential positive impact. As important as the improvements that grazing animals can generate to the soil-plant components, the economic resilience remarkably increases when pasture rotations are introduced compared with purely agriculture systems, particularly in climate-risk situations. Thus, the integration of the pastoral component can enhance the sustainable intensification of food production, but it modifies simple, pure agricultural systems into more complex and knowledge-demanding production systems

Soil solution changes and rice crop response as affected by irrigation and nitrogen management

Extensas áreas de produção de arroz irrigado podem ser afetadas pela escassez de água durante o ciclo da cultura, dependendo das precipitações pluviais e do gerenciamento dos mananciais hídricos pelo produtor. A irrigação intermitente é uma alternativa para a otimização do uso da água pela lavoura. Entretanto, esse manejo altera a dinâmica e disponibilidade de nutrientes na solução do solo, podendo afetar também a cultura. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a eletroquímica e a dinâmica de nutrientes na solução do solo, assim como a resposta do arroz ao parcelamento da adubação nitrogenada, em diferentes sistemas de irrigação. O experimento foi conduzido no campo, no ano agrícola de 2012/13, em um Gleissolo, na Estação Experimental do Arroz (EEA) do Instituto Rio Grandense do Arroz (IRGA), em Cachoeirinha/RS. Os tratamentos testados foram: irrigação contínua e irrigação intermitente com uma e duas supressões no estágio vegetativo. Nas subparcelas, o manejo de aplicação de N constou de 0 kg ha-1 e 150 kg ha-1 em duas e três vezes. A eletroquímica é afetada pelos sistemas de irrigação e influenciam a dinâmica e disponibilidade dos nutrientes na solução do solo. Na irrigação contínua a disponibilidade dos nutrientes é maior em relação às irrigações intermitentes. Embora a biomassa e o acúmulo do nitrogênio sejam afetados, a produtividade não diferenciou entre os sistemas de irrigação e o manejo de adubação nitrogenada. A intermitência pode ser utilizada como uma ferramenta para melhorar a eficiência de utilização do nitrogênio pela cultura do arroz irrigado.Large areas of irrigated rice production can be affected by water scarcity during the crop cycle, depending on rainfall and management of water sources by farmer. Intermitent irrigation is an alternative to the optimization of water use by the crop. However, this management modifies the nutrient dynamics and availability in the soil solution and may also affect the crop. The objective of this study was to evaluate the electrochemical and nutrient dynamics in the soil solution, as well as the response of rice to the split of nitrogen fertilization under different irrigation systems. The experiment was conducted under field conditions in the 2012/13 agricultural season, on an Albaqualf soil in the Rice Experiment Station of Instituto Rio Grandense do Arroz (IRGA), in Cachoeirinha/RS. The treatments tested were: continuous flooding and intermittent irrigation with one and two dry cycles in the vegetative stage. Subplots consisted of nitrogen application of 0 kg ha-1 and 150 kg ha-1 in two and three splits. The soil solution electrochemistry is affected by irrigation systems and influence the nutrients dynamics and availability. In continuous flooding, nutrients availability is greater compared to intermittent irrigation. Although biomass and nitrogen accumulation are affected, grain yield did not differ between the irrigation systems and nitrogen fertilization management. The intermittent irrigation can be used as a tool to improve the nitrogen use efficiency by irrigated rice

Soil solution changes and rice crop response as affected by irrigation and nitrogen management

Extensas áreas de produção de arroz irrigado podem ser afetadas pela escassez de água durante o ciclo da cultura, dependendo das precipitações pluviais e do gerenciamento dos mananciais hídricos pelo produtor. A irrigação intermitente é uma alternativa para a otimização do uso da água pela lavoura. Entretanto, esse manejo altera a dinâmica e disponibilidade de nutrientes na solução do solo, podendo afetar também a cultura. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a eletroquímica e a dinâmica de nutrientes na solução do solo, assim como a resposta do arroz ao parcelamento da adubação nitrogenada, em diferentes sistemas de irrigação. O experimento foi conduzido no campo, no ano agrícola de 2012/13, em um Gleissolo, na Estação Experimental do Arroz (EEA) do Instituto Rio Grandense do Arroz (IRGA), em Cachoeirinha/RS. Os tratamentos testados foram: irrigação contínua e irrigação intermitente com uma e duas supressões no estágio vegetativo. Nas subparcelas, o manejo de aplicação de N constou de 0 kg ha-1 e 150 kg ha-1 em duas e três vezes. A eletroquímica é afetada pelos sistemas de irrigação e influenciam a dinâmica e disponibilidade dos nutrientes na solução do solo. Na irrigação contínua a disponibilidade dos nutrientes é maior em relação às irrigações intermitentes. Embora a biomassa e o acúmulo do nitrogênio sejam afetados, a produtividade não diferenciou entre os sistemas de irrigação e o manejo de adubação nitrogenada. A intermitência pode ser utilizada como uma ferramenta para melhorar a eficiência de utilização do nitrogênio pela cultura do arroz irrigado.Large areas of irrigated rice production can be affected by water scarcity during the crop cycle, depending on rainfall and management of water sources by farmer. Intermitent irrigation is an alternative to the optimization of water use by the crop. However, this management modifies the nutrient dynamics and availability in the soil solution and may also affect the crop. The objective of this study was to evaluate the electrochemical and nutrient dynamics in the soil solution, as well as the response of rice to the split of nitrogen fertilization under different irrigation systems. The experiment was conducted under field conditions in the 2012/13 agricultural season, on an Albaqualf soil in the Rice Experiment Station of Instituto Rio Grandense do Arroz (IRGA), in Cachoeirinha/RS. The treatments tested were: continuous flooding and intermittent irrigation with one and two dry cycles in the vegetative stage. Subplots consisted of nitrogen application of 0 kg ha-1 and 150 kg ha-1 in two and three splits. The soil solution electrochemistry is affected by irrigation systems and influence the nutrients dynamics and availability. In continuous flooding, nutrients availability is greater compared to intermittent irrigation. Although biomass and nitrogen accumulation are affected, grain yield did not differ between the irrigation systems and nitrogen fertilization management. The intermittent irrigation can be used as a tool to improve the nitrogen use efficiency by irrigated rice

Integrating the pastoral component in agricultural systems

This paper aims to discuss the impact of the introduction of pastures and grazing animals in agricultural systems. For the purposes of this manuscript, we focus on within-farm integrated crop-livestock systems (ICLS), typical of Southern Brazil. These ICLS are designed to create and enhance the synergisms and emergent properties have arisen from agricultural areas where livestock activities are integrated with crops. We show that the introduction of the crop component will affect less the preceding condition than the introduction of the livestock component. While the introduction of crops in pastoral systems represents increasing diversity of the plant component, the introduction of animals would represent the entry of new flows and interactions within the system. Thus, given the new complexity levels achieved from the introduction of grazing, the probability of arising emergent properties is theoretically much higher. However, grazing management is vital in determining the success or failure of such initiative. The grazing intensity practiced during the pasture phase would affect the canopy structure and the forage availability to animals. In adequate and moderate grazing intensities, it is possible to affirm that livestock combined with crops (ICLS) has a potential positive impact. As important as the improvements that grazing animals can generate to the soil-plant components, the economic resilience remarkably increases when pasture rotations are introduced compared with purely agriculture systems, particularly in climate-risk situations. Thus, the integration of the pastoral component can enhance the sustainable intensification of food production, but it modifies simple, pure agricultural systems into more complex and knowledge-demanding production systems

Integrating the pastoral component in agricultural systems

ABSTRACT This paper aims to discuss the impact of the introduction of pastures and grazing animals in agricultural systems. For the purposes of this manuscript, we focus on within-farm integrated crop-livestock systems (ICLS), typical of Southern Brazil. These ICLS are designed to create and enhance the synergisms and emergent properties have arisen from agricultural areas where livestock activities are integrated with crops. We show that the introduction of the crop component will affect less the preceding condition than the introduction of the livestock component. While the introduction of crops in pastoral systems represents increasing diversity of the plant component, the introduction of animals would represent the entry of new flows and interactions within the system. Thus, given the new complexity levels achieved from the introduction of grazing, the probability of arising emergent properties is theoretically much higher. However, grazing management is vital in determining the success or failure of such initiative. The grazing intensity practiced during the pasture phase would affect the canopy structure and the forage availability to animals. In adequate and moderate grazing intensities, it is possible to affirm that livestock combined with crops (ICLS) has a potential positive impact. As important as the improvements that grazing animals can generate to the soil-plant components, the economic resilience remarkably increases when pasture rotations are introduced compared with purely agriculture systems, particularly in climate-risk situations. Thus, the integration of the pastoral component can enhance the sustainable intensification of food production, but it modifies simple, pure agricultural systems into more complex and knowledge-demanding production systems

Integrating the pastoral component in agricultural systems

<div><p>ABSTRACT This paper aims to discuss the impact of the introduction of pastures and grazing animals in agricultural systems. For the purposes of this manuscript, we focus on within-farm integrated crop-livestock systems (ICLS), typical of Southern Brazil. These ICLS are designed to create and enhance the synergisms and emergent properties have arisen from agricultural areas where livestock activities are integrated with crops. We show that the introduction of the crop component will affect less the preceding condition than the introduction of the livestock component. While the introduction of crops in pastoral systems represents increasing diversity of the plant component, the introduction of animals would represent the entry of new flows and interactions within the system. Thus, given the new complexity levels achieved from the introduction of grazing, the probability of arising emergent properties is theoretically much higher. However, grazing management is vital in determining the success or failure of such initiative. The grazing intensity practiced during the pasture phase would affect the canopy structure and the forage availability to animals. In adequate and moderate grazing intensities, it is possible to affirm that livestock combined with crops (ICLS) has a potential positive impact. As important as the improvements that grazing animals can generate to the soil-plant components, the economic resilience remarkably increases when pasture rotations are introduced compared with purely agriculture systems, particularly in climate-risk situations. Thus, the integration of the pastoral component can enhance the sustainable intensification of food production, but it modifies simple, pure agricultural systems into more complex and knowledge-demanding production systems.</p></div