Remove Cattle Remove Pasture Remove Soil Compaction
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How Does Soil Compaction Impact Grazing Lands?

ATTRA

By Justin Morris Has your pasture been plagued by poor plant growth? Does water pond on the surface of your pasture either during or right after a rain or irrigation event? Or does water run off your pasture to the point that it leaves behind ugly scars of erosion or floods out other areas that are lower in the landscape?

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Diagnosing Soil Compaction on Grazing Lands

ATTRA

By Justin Morris In an earlier blog , we discussed the causes of soil compaction, largely driven by overgrazing, which reduces rooting depth, root exudation, and soil aggregation. Now that we know the cause of soil compaction, how can we determine if soil compaction is present and the severity of it?

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The Anatomy of a Pasture Walk

Wisconsin Farmers Union

What’s in a Pasture Walk? If you’ve been to one pasture walk or field day, you’ve almost certainly been to more because field days are like potato chips – once you try them, you can’t stop. However, getting to a field day or pasture walk can be tough with so many competing priorities in life. They’re incredibly valuable.

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The Causes of Soil Compaction on Grazing Lands

ATTRA

Fortunately, knowing how compaction forms and how extensive it is, are the keys to knowing how to eliminate it forever. Causes of Compaction There are generally two major causes of soil compaction on pastures: hoof impact and overgrazing.

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The Season of Mud

ATTRA

Our pastures are devastated by livestock feeding areas, hooves, gate ruts, excessive rain, snow melt, and lack of vegetative cover during the non-growing season. We are too aware of the cost of pasture forage restoration, truck fenders, and loss of man hours, but there is also a cost to the health and welfare of our livestock.

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Creating Living Landscapes

UnderstandingAg

For me, well, I was taking an introductory soil science class in a two-year horticulture degree program at Farmingdale State College on Long Island, NY. In that soil science class, I learned all about soil horizons, particle size ranges that comprise sand, loam, and clay, pH, N,P,K, and the fact soil compaction inhibits plant growth.