Track 1-15: Pastures in Integrated Crop/Livestock Production Systems
Description
A major aim of integrated crop livestock system (ICLS) with trees is to increase the overall land productivity and/or its sustainability by making best use of the environmental resources (water, light and nutrients) used by plant for growth (Jose et al. 2008). Consequently, research efforts have been done in order to investigate the complex animal-plant-soils interactions operating upon the biological production of these systems, and their environmental impacts. For instance, since roots return to soil as a stock of C in the soil is in general larger than shoot return, interest in describing plant root system has increased due the current debate over sequestration of C by vegetation. Therefore, an important issue of ICLS is the degree of competition or, conversely, the complementary level that exists between root development and root system activities (Gregory 2006). However, our knowledge about the mechanisms by which biomass allocation (aerial parts of the plant vs. root system) is regulated is poor (Poorter et al. 2011), mainly when considering simultaneous stresses (e.g. light and nutrients). In the present study we report the shoot:root ratio and root mass variation responses to N fertilization levels of two forage grass species growing in field situation under a tree canopy while grazed by beef heifers versus an open, treeless ICLS.
Included in
Interactive Tree and N Supply Effect on Root Mass of Two Annual Pasture Grasses
A major aim of integrated crop livestock system (ICLS) with trees is to increase the overall land productivity and/or its sustainability by making best use of the environmental resources (water, light and nutrients) used by plant for growth (Jose et al. 2008). Consequently, research efforts have been done in order to investigate the complex animal-plant-soils interactions operating upon the biological production of these systems, and their environmental impacts. For instance, since roots return to soil as a stock of C in the soil is in general larger than shoot return, interest in describing plant root system has increased due the current debate over sequestration of C by vegetation. Therefore, an important issue of ICLS is the degree of competition or, conversely, the complementary level that exists between root development and root system activities (Gregory 2006). However, our knowledge about the mechanisms by which biomass allocation (aerial parts of the plant vs. root system) is regulated is poor (Poorter et al. 2011), mainly when considering simultaneous stresses (e.g. light and nutrients). In the present study we report the shoot:root ratio and root mass variation responses to N fertilization levels of two forage grass species growing in field situation under a tree canopy while grazed by beef heifers versus an open, treeless ICLS.
