Building Team Chemistry: The Bigger Picture Behind Cows & Climate
Conor McCabe
Animal Biology Graduate Student, UC Davis
Quantifying the Advantages of Multi-Paddock (AMP) Grazing Compared to Conventional Continuous Grazing in the U.S. Southeast & Northern Great Plains
Can Grazing be More Environmentally & Economically Sustainable?
This research is analyzing how Adaptive Multi-Paddock (AMP) grazing increases farm resiliency, contributes to carbon sequestration, improves soil biodiversity and impacts animal wellbeing and productivity. In the first phase of the research, funded in 2017, tested whether AMP grazing or conventional, continuous grazing are better for the land and/or the farmers’ income, Byck and his research team recruited five neighboring ranchers in the Southeastern U.S. to participate in this long-term study where one farmer was practicing AMP grazing and the other used continuous grazing practices. The researchers selected the conventional farms by matching the soil types, slopes and aspects to the sun to the five AMP grazing farms. They then compared results, neighbor to neighbor.
In the second phase of the research, funded in 2022, the research team is expanding the project to the Upper Great Plains, where there is a much shorter growing season and is much drier and cooler than the Southeast. Learning the impacts of AMP grazing in this different region of the U.S. will help further quantify its benefits and aid researchers in determining the scalability of this grazing technique.
Why This Research is Important
Adaptive Multi-Paddock (AMP) grazing is a livestock management practice that uses lightweight, portable fencing systems to move animals strategically around a large pasture. This method allows for shorter periods of grazing with moderate plant use and provides the land time to recover after grazing. AMP grazing mimics the natural grazing patterns of bison, which are considered by some the best grazing land managers, and is highly adaptive for a variety of livestock.
Unlike conventional grazing practices, in which animals continuously graze in one location, AMP grazing could increase farm resiliency, contribute to carbon sequestration, improve soil biodiversity and impact animal wellbeing and productivity. Smaller studies of AMP grazing confirmed these benefits, though scientists and ranchers needed additional research to prove that AMP grazing can achieve these goals more effectively than continuous grazing practices.
How This Research Contributes to Our Mission
This AMP grazing research project supports FFAR’s Soil Health Challenge Area by quantifying sustainable on-farm practices to improve soil health.
Matching Funders
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