Monday, June 3, 2024

Cover crops and double cropping with animals is a winning choice

 

The NRCS has worked hard to convince people that ”No Til” will save some soil structure and reduce erosion from runoff of rainfall on compacted soils.    High costs of no-till equipment, however, has led many farmers to crop monocultures.
Over time, monocultural row cropping still leads to compaction (compared to a planned crop rotation) but more damage to soil fertility is being done by removing cattle from the land.    

Periodic growth of cover crops can be harvested by animals cheaper than they can be tilled or terminated prior to growing a cash crop.    Animals aid the growth of soil biology, helping to keep the balance needed between bacteria and fungi.

The productivity of your animals and your cost of raising them to market (either for meat or breeding or show stock) improves when you give them access to all your land at some time in the growing season (and maybe after as well).

Mich Livestock Service, Inc    “For the Best in Bulls”   AND  “For the most useful forage Seeds”
At your service since 1952…    strategies to  synergistically  combine cattle and seed genetics

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