12.12: Summary

There are various ways to combine crops and animals into a farming operation, and if carried out well, there are usually numerous advantages to doing so. This is especially the case when the purpose of the farm is to sell multiple products, both crop and animal, which provides a degree of economic security through diversity. Another advantage is the improvement of soil health when establishing pastures (permanent or as part of a rotation) and growing hay crops. Intensively managed grazing systems, one general system of integrating livestock and crops, are very efficient, can be highly productive, and provide multiple benefits by improving soil health through perennial covers and manure applications.

Another advantage of integrating crops and livestock is having access to animal manures, which is useful for building healthy soils and moving nutrients to fields that need them the most. Manures are high in nutrients needed by plants, and they help build and maintain soil organic matter levels. There is wide variability in the characteristics of manures, even from the same species, depending on feeding, bedding and manure handling practice, and it is important to analyze manures to more accurately judge the needed application rates. But some animal-based systems pose great environmental concerns because they do not adequately consider nutrient cycles and potentials for losses after manure application. It is important when using manures to keep in mind the potential limitations, including pathogen contamination of crops that are for direct human consumption; accumulation of potentially toxic metals from high application of certain manures; and overloading the soil with N or P by applying rates that are in excess of needs, as demonstrated by soil test and known crop uptake.