DEVELOPMENT OF AN INTEGRATED LIVESTOCK/ROW CROP CONSERVATION FARMING SYSTEM

The major goal is to develop more information on impacts of livestock on winter grazing on following row crops with environmental, economic, labor and fuel savings and overall ease of management of the system with year round utilization of land and human resources. We have yet to find the tipping point that provides widespread adoption of this system even though we have shown reductions in fertilizer use by 25 to 67%, 40-70% reduction in irrigation and increased yields despite input reductions with major enhancement to eco-system services. Growers who have tried it are implementing integrating livestock on a larger scale but adoption has been slow due to lack of fence and water wells for livestock in many fields. Further research with precision ag has shown further decreases in nitrogen use when using nitrogen calibration strips by zones in fields where winter grazing was used. Sensing and use of Veris equipment for identifying managment zones by electrical conductivity of the soil will be investigated further as precison ag methods can result in precise placement or treatment of problems with crops.