The two case studies below discuss how livestock can lead to reductions in the use of mineral fertilisers, improved soil structure and potential increases in the water holding capacity of the soil.
Case studies
Tim Jolly farms over 400 hectares of land near Thetford in Norfolk. Cropping includes potatoes, carrots and parsnips. Annual soil sampling has shown an increase in phosphate and potash content in the soil after incorporating livestock manure into his land. He puts livestock on land after potatoes to graze off potato tubers.
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James Small, farming 200 hectares of grassland and common land in Somerset, currently runs a 100 plus head of cattle alongside 1400 breeding ewes on a share farm agreement. Different grass leys are used to improve soil structure due to their diversity in root lengths and variable growth rates. The use of legume and herb-rich leys which contain nitrogen fixing bacteria within the rhizosphere (root zone), has also reduced the use of mineral fertiliser.