Integrating livestock and cropping systems: Interseeding cereal rye into corn for grazing

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Agronomy
• Soil Science

Background:

• Cover crops are crucial for soil health and extending grazing seasons in temperate agricultural systems.
• Interseeding forages into cash crops offers a dual-purpose system for crop production and livestock grazing.
• Evaluating the impact of interseeded cover crops on both crop yield and soil health is essential for sustainable agriculture.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility of interseeding cereal rye into corn for post-harvest grazing.
• To evaluate the effects of this practice on corn grain yield, forage biomass, and soil health indicators.
• To determine the utility of vegetation indices (VIs) from unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) for estimating biomass yield.

Main Methods:

• A 4-year experiment involved interseeding cereal rye into corn at the V4-V6 stage.
• Post-corn harvest, sites were divided into grazed and non-grazed treatments.
• Measurements included corn grain yield, forage biomass and quality, soil health parameters, and biomass estimation using UAS-derived VIs.

Main Results:

• Cereal rye and corn stover provided 105-130 additional animal unit days per hectare for grazing.
• Soil health indicators showed minimal negative impact from the interseeding and grazing practice.
• Corn grain yields were largely unaffected, except in a dry year (2019) where yields decreased by 35%-40%.

Conclusions:

• Interseeding cereal rye into grain corn is a viable strategy to establish cover crops and extend the grazing season.
• This method can be implemented without significantly compromising cash crop (corn) yields.
• Vegetation indices showed potential for biomass estimation, though saturation was observed at higher biomass levels.