Soil Responses to Various Livestock Systems in Calloway County, Kentucky

In the United States, more than 485 million acres of land is devoted to livestock production, with cattle pastures being the single greatest use of land in the U.S. The grazing of livestock across the soil surface has a significant impact on the health and functionality of the greater soil body. This impact is magnified when animals are raised in contained environments such as enclosed pastures and pins. Different livestock impact the soil to different degrees based on factors such as their respective downforce, mineral content of waste, organic materials deposited, grazing characteristics, and bedding habits. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of various livestock systems on several soil health indicators. Livestock systems of sheep, swine, cattle, and horses were evaluated to determine the degree to which each system has the most significant impact on overall soil health over time. The sites for this study are all in Calloway County, Kentucky and have been in production for at least five years. The soil health indicators evaluated were bulk density, total porosity, saturated water content, field capacity water content, macroporosity, soil organic matter, and soil pH. This study found that soil organic matter at a depth of 0-7.26 cm was at least 1.3% higher in a grazing cattle management system than all other management systems evaluated. The findings of this study will help livestock producers to be better informed about the potential impact of their livestock on their soil health and productivity over time. Key words: Bulk Density, Cattle, Livestock Systems, Soil health, Soil Water Holding Capacity