Page 26 - MWC 9-15-2022s2

The Midwest Cattleman · September 15, 2022 · P26
Considerations for improving soil health in pastures

By Dean Kreager, OSU Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator

Soil health is one of the hot is a great tool to help manage
topics in agriculture. I contin- pasture productivity. Beyond
ue to receive an increasing our standard soil test results
number of questions and get there are many addition-
involved in more conversa- al properties in the soil that
tions involving “soil health” can greatly affect productiv-
and “regenerative agricul- ity and sustainability. “Soil
ture”. Many universities and health” takes into account a
farmers are trying to define combination of many factors
healthy soils and find ways to including chemical, physical,
improve the health of the soil. and biological properties. Soil
We know that keeping soils aggregates, pore space, my-
covered with a growing crop corrhizal fungi, biological ac-
reduces soil loss and improves tivity, organic matter, carbon,
water infiltration. We also and water infiltration are just
know there may be a number a few of the terms that are
of other benefits to soils by often discussed when talking
having livestock grazing over about soil health.
them. What more can be done Pastures have benefits to Water Infiltration beneficial microorganisms liv-
to improve the soil health in soil health through contin- Water infiltration is the ing in the soil. These microor-
our pastures and what will uous cover of the ground; ability of water to enter the ganisms can help cycle nutri-
the benefits be? however, there are options ground during rains and not ents back to growing plants.
be lost as runoff. Having a Manure and uneaten forages
What is soil health? in managing the pasture growing forage with deep that are trampled into the
that can further improve the
My colleagues and I have penetrating roots helps pro- ground become contributions
often stressed the importance health of the soil over time. vide channels for water to to the organic matter. Organ-
Management can affect prop-
of soil testing. A soil test will erties such as water infiltra- enter. This infiltration rate ic matter does not accumulate
let us know the pH and the tion, organic matter, carbon becomes extremely import- quickly but grazing animals
amount of some of the im- sequestration, and microbial ant when there are record can help speed the process.
portant nutrients that will be health. rainfalls in a 24-hour period
available to our plants. This like what occurred in central Carbon Sequestration
Pastures that have been
Ohio in early July this year. well managed will often have
The ability of large amounts higher rates of carbon se-
of water to enter the ground questered into the soil than
instead of running off will native fields that have not
Located 45 mi. SE of Kansas City, Mo on 58 Hwy. east at both protect from erosion and been grazed. This increase
Modern Kingsville Livestock Auction Center at Kingsville, MO increase soil moisture to help in carbon increases organic
through those dry periods.
The amount, size, and depth matter which increases the
water holding capacity of the
of roots in the pasture has
Make Plans To Attend Our Next been compared among graz- soil. At the same time, the
sequestered carbon is part
ing management systems.
Special Cow & Bull Sale University studies spanning of reducing greenhouse gas
levels. Once again, the rest
from Texas to North Dakota
- Saturday, October 22nd - have reported similar results. periods with rotational graz-
ing allow greater root devel-
Forages that are continuously
opment which places great-
11:00 am grazed at a moderate to heavy er amounts of carbon deeper
rate often have a shallower
into the ground. Management
root system and do not allow
as much water to enter the practices can improve the car-
bon sequestration rate.
ground in a short time. For-
On-Line Bidding available at ages that have been rotation- Microorganisms
Another grazing benefit to
ally grazed appeared to have
CATTLE USA.com much deeper roots which the soil health comes from
leads to deeper channels and the stimulation of forage
greater amounts of water that during grazing. Research has
can be absorbed into the soil. shown that the grazing sig-

Organic Matter nals the plant to pump out
sugars from its roots. The
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continued on page 29