Abstract

TABOADA, Miguel Angel  and  MICUCCI, Sergio Nicolás. Rotative grazing effects on soil physical properties of three soils of the flooding Pampa. Cienc. suelo [online]. 2009, vol.27, n.2, pp.147-157. ISSN 1850-2067.

Information on rotative grazing effects on soil physical properties is scarce. The working hypothesis was that different soils located in different positions of a toposquence respond differently to grazing management. A one-year field trial was carried out to evaluate temporal variations of a set of soil physical properties in paired situations managed under continuous grazing (PC; mean stocking rate = 0,5-0,7 cow ha-¹ yr-¹) and rotative grazing (PR; stocking rate = 20-40 cow ha-¹ each two months), in soils located in upland (Aquic Argiudoll), midland (Typic Natraquoll) and alkaline lowland (Typic Natraqualf) positions of a toposequence. PR management significantly improved the soil physical properties at the upland position. This soil had 6.7 to 36% higher gravimetric water content, 16% lower bulk density and 54% lower surface bearing capacity in the topsoil compared to the PC treatment. Soil structural instability was not affected by grazing, and more than doubled in the alkaline lowland position. The three soils of the toposequence responded differently to similar grazing management, which agrees with the working hypothesis. However, contrary to our prediction, rotative grazing did not favor the soil in alkaline lowland; only the upland position was positively affected.

Keywords : Rotative grazing; Animal trampling; Soil physical properties; Halo-hydromorphic soils; Flooding Pampa.

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