IAEA-TECDOC-1924 IAEA-TECDOC-1924 IAEA TECDOC SERIES Optimizing Soil, Water and Nutrient Use Efficiency in Integrated Cropping–Livestock Production Systems in Integrated Cropping–Livestock Production Systems and Nutrient Use Efficiency Water Optimizing Soil, IAEA-TECDOC-1924 Optimizing Soil, Water and Nutrient Use Efficiency in Integrated Cropping–Livestock Production Systems International Atomic Energy Agency Vienna @ OPTIMIZING SOIL, WATER AND NUTRIENT USE EFFICIENCY IN INTEGRATED CROPPING–LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION SYSTEMS The Agency’s Statute was approved on 23 October 1956 by the Conference on the Statute of the IAEA held at United Nations Headquarters, New York; it entered into force on 29 July 1957. The Headquarters of the Agency are situated in Vienna. Its principal objective is “to accelerate and enlarge the contribution of atomic energy to peace, health and prosperity throughout the world’’. IAEA-TECDOC-1924 OPTIMIZING SOIL, WATER AND NUTRIENT USE EFFICIENCY IN INTEGRATED CROPPING–LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION SYSTEMS PREPARED BY THE JOINT FAO/IAEA DIVISION OF NUCLEAR TECHNIQUES IN FOOD AND AGRICULTURE INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY VIENNA, 2020 COPYRIGHT NOTICE All IAEA scientific and technical publications are protected by the terms of the Universal Copyright Convention as adopted in 1952 (Berne) and as revised in 1972 (Paris). The copyright has since been extended by the World Intellectual Property Organization (Geneva) to include electronic and virtual intellectual property. Permission to use whole or parts of texts contained in IAEA publications in printed or electronic form must be obtained and is usually subject to royalty agreements. Proposals for non-commercial reproductions and translations are welcomed and considered on a case-by-case basis. 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Identifiers: IAEAL 20-01345 | ISBN 978–92–0–115920–5 (paperback : alk. paper) | ISBN 978–92–0–116020–1 (pdf) Subjects: LCSH: Integrated agricultural systems. | Sustainable agriculture. | Radioisotopes in agriculture. FOREWORD Continuous nutrient mining, monocropping and poor farming practices are still the norm in many developing countries, and they generally lead to declining soil fertility and quality, a loss of crop productivity, and falling incomes. Equipping farmers, especially in developing countries, with knowledge of techniques for maintaining or improving soil fertility through best farming practices can support sustainable crop production. Improving soil fertility by retaining more carbon and essential plant nutrients is key to making soil more resilient to a changing climate. The integrated cropping–livestock system is a simple and highly beneficial practice for good soil management that enriches soil with essential plant nutrients and improves soil organic matter and soil biological activities, leading to increased soil fertility and improvements in soil structure and stability. The adoption of an integrated cropping–livestock system (e.g. growing nitrogen fixing legumes in rotation, recycling organic residues and manure, and using animal grazing to minimize dependence on chemical fertilizers), combined with strategic use of chemical fertilizers and water, and the avoidance of unnecessary cultivation to preserve carbon and nutrients in soil, can conserve nutrients and thereby provide better growing environments for crop growth and enhanced crop productivity. This publication presents the results of a coordinated research project entitled Optimizing Soil, Water and Nutrient Use Efficiency in Integrated Cropping–Livestock Production Systems. The overall objective of the project was to enhance food security and rural livelihoods by improving resource use efficiency and sustainability of integrated cropping–livestock systems under a changing climate. Other objectives included optimizing water and nutrient use efficiency in integrated cropping–livestock production systems; identifying the potential for improving soil quality and fertility in such systems; assessing their socioeconomic and environmental benefits, and their influence on greenhouse gas emissions, soil carbon sequestration and water quality; and strengthening the capacity of Member States to use isotopic and nuclear techniques and to develop soil, water and nutrient management options for farmers to improve management of integrated cropping–livestock systems. The results of the project provide insights into building soil resilience by conserving more nutrients and carbon, and into reducing greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture. The IAEA officer responsible for this publication was M. Zaman of the Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture. EDITORIAL NOTE This publication has been prepared from the original material as submitted by the contributors and has not been edited by the editorial staff of the IAEA. The views expressed remain the responsibility of the contributors and do not necessarily represent the views of the IAEA or its Member States. Neither the IAEA nor its Member States assume any responsibility for consequences which may arise from the use of this publication. This publication does not address questions of responsibility, legal or otherwise, for acts or omissions on the part of any person. The use of particular designations of countries or territories does not imply any judgement by the publisher, the IAEA, as to the legal status of such countries or territories, of their authorities and institutions or of the delimitation of their boundaries. The mention of names of specific companies or products (whether or not indicated as registered) does not imply any intention to infringe proprietary rights, nor should it be construed as an endorsement or recommendation on the part of the IAEA. The authors are responsible for having obtained the necessary permission for the IAEA to reproduce, translate or use material from sources already protected by copyrights. The IAEA has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs for external or third party Internet web sites referred to in this publication and does not guarantee that any content on such web sites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate. CONTENTS SUMMARY……………………………………………………………………………............1 Gaseous emissions of N2O and CH4 from subtropical Brazilian soil under integrated crop- livestock and crop-livestock-forestry production systems……………………………………..6 J. Deckow, M. Pergher, J.T. Piva, P. Simon, B. Ramalho, C. Amadori, S. Ritter Optimizing soil, water and nutrient use efficiency in integrated cropping–livestock production system in Southern India……………………………………………………………………...32 V. Ramesh Saravanakumar, R. Murugeswari, V.S. Mynavathi Enhancing soil productivity and water and nutrient use efficiencies in integrated cropping- livestock production systems in Kenya……………………………………………………….56 A.O. Esilaba, E. Njiru, R. Ruto, S.P. Omondi, K.M. Kwena, E.G. Thuranira, J.A. Mwangi, A.W. Simiyu Contribution of integrated cropping-livestock systems to sustainability of agricultural systems in Argentina……………………………………………………………………………………...84 C. Colazo, J.M. De Dios Herrero, R. Sager, S. Ritter Comparative effect of maize cultivation-cattle grazing rotation on selected ferrallitic soil properties and maize yield in the lake Victoria crescent……………………………………..96 A. Mirembe, J.G.M. Majaliwa, M.M. Tenywa, C.L. Kizza, M. Zaman, K. Sakadevan Agronomic and environmental effects of shifting integrated cropping-livestock systems to continuous cropping rotations in Uruguay…………………………………………………..105 C. Perdomo, C. Mori, O. Ernst The role of integrated cropping-livestock systems (ICLS) in climate smart agricultural practices……………………………………………………………………………………..139 M. Zaman, S. Ritter, M. Kuehn, A. Gupta ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS…………………………………………………...149 CONTRIBUTORS TO DRAFTING AND REVIEW………………………………………155 SUMMARY BACKGROUND The rationale for the Coordinated Research Project (CRP) “Optimizing Soil, Water and Nutrient Use Efficiency in Integrated Cropping-Livestock Production Systems (D1.20.12)” was to investigate mutually beneficial synergies in the production of crops and livestock for human consumption. In modern intensive agricultural systems, crop and livestock husbandries are often conducted as separate enterprises. However, traditional small scale agriculture was based on the raising of crops and livestock on the same family farm. Many advantages can accrue from side by side crop-livestock farm activities. For example, protein rich grain legume residues or cereal straw can be fed to livestock, while livestock manure can be used as fertiliser for crops. In this CRP, the opportunities