Research surrounding the use of multi-species pastures is growing, and a surprisingly wide range of benefits are being found. The main benefits are seen in the improvement of the health of your soil while also providing high-quality feed for livestock.
1. Improving Soil Health
One benefit is improved soil health from the diversity of root structures. The differing root structures can help break up compaction issues within the soil profile and lead to increased drainage, aeration, and biological activity. This diversity of roots mimics nature, unlike monoculture pastures, which leads to different sugars and proteins being released into the soil, in turn leading to a diversity of microbes. This is crucial to an efficient mineralisation process, better cycling of nutrients, improved water holding capacity, and improved soil structure.
2. Nitrogen Levels
Multi-species pastures can also increase Nitrogen levels in the soil through the introduction of legumes, which will be helpful considering the cost of inputs.
3. Improved Pest and Disease Resilience
Having diversity in pastures is also beneficial to reduce the prevalence of pests and diseases. Monocultural systems can create a perfect breeding ground for pests. In a more diverse planting, there is a reduced chance for pest species numbers to proliferate as it doesn’t provide an ideal habitat for them to spread. The diversity will also provide a habitat for other beneficial organisms to predate on pest species as part of a healthy soil food web. Some pasture species, such as brassicas, also have natural insecticide properties where they act as a fumigant.
4. Livestock Benefits
Animal health benefits are also a significant positive outcome as animals can meet their optimal maintenance and growth requirements through selectively grazing different plant species for specific nutrients. These pastures also offer the potential to reduce feed gaps when done well. Varieties with earlier and later maturing plants are able to be combined in the mix, as well as individual plant persistence – as a result of the symbiotic effects between plant species. This is especially the case in the longer-term planting of perennial species.
5. Improving Soil Organic Matter Through Grazing Multi-Species
Root growth is the most effective way to improve soil organic matter levels. As the roots of a diverse pasture grow, they fill the soil profile. When the above-ground biomass is grazed, it causes some of the root biomass to die off, which feeds soil microbiology. These microbes break down this organic matter to release plant-available nutrients and stable forms of carbon, such as humus. The greater the diversity, the greater the amount of soil space occupied by plant roots and the better the improvement of soil health.
6. Resilience In Farming Systems
Resilience in farming systems is often talked about, and one way to add this to your enterprise is through multi-species pastures. Plant species each respond differently to adverse conditions, so the diversity of plants allows for biomass production to continue with less influence from a variable climate. The soil health benefits also reduce the reliance on inputs while increasing carbon, which is another growing topic. All of this contributes to reduced risk and can contribute to a resilient business model.
Planting a multi-species pasture with careful planning and consideration can achieve a range of benefits for your enterprise. If you’re interested in what seed blends are available or custom blends for your farm, come and chat with our agronomists.
We have great options through our seed suppliers such as Barenbrug and S&W.