Polycrops or monocrops: Which system is better for backgrounding weaned calves? April 2025
Researcher Dr. Obioha Durunna, livestock research scientist
Summary Can a polycrop system facilitate better land stewardship and animal welfare than the conventional monocrop system?
Background Ranchers use swathgrazing as an economic management strategy that helps them extend their grazing practices into the spring and winter months. Instead of traditional haying and feeding practices, forage crops are cut and left in windrows for animals to graze along allotted windrow sections. Swathgrazing reduces the cost of beef production by over 40 per cent through reduced use of machinery or fuel, and also eliminates the need to haul manure. Traditionally, producers grow one crop (monocrop) for swathgrazing because seeding activities, controlling weeds and predicting yield are more straightforward to manage. Further, monocrop swath quality usually makes the practice more appropriate for older cows rather than young calves. In a polycrop system, several species of crops are grown together. The system is perceived to be enhanced by land stewardship practices because of complementary nutrient uptake and contributions from various plant species. Growing different crops together also helps in reducing the production risks or yield failures from unpredictable or extreme weather events.