This Research Topic is hosted in partnership with the "Grazing in Future Multi-Scapes" international workshop. The workshop will be held online, 30th May - 5th June 2021. Throughout different landscapes of the world, “grazing” herbivores fulfill essential roles in ecology, agriculture, economies and cultures including: families, farms, and communities. Not only do livestock provide food and wealth, they also deliver ecosystem services through the roles they play in environmental composition, structure and dynamics. Grazing, as a descriptive adjective, locates herbivores within a spatial and temporal pastoral context where they naturally graze or are grazed by farmers, ranchers, shepherds etc. In many cases, however, pastoralism with the single objective of maximizing animal production and/or profit has transformed landscapes, diminishing biodiversity, reducing water and air quality, accelerating loss of soil and plant biomass, and displacing indigenous animals and people. These degenerative landscape transformations have jeopardized present and future ecosystem and societal services, breaking the natural integration of land, water, air, health, society and culture. Land-users, policy makers and societies are calling for alternative approaches to pastoral systems; a call for diversified-adaptive and integrative agro-ecological and food-pastoral-systems designs that operate across multiple scales and ‘scapes’ (e.g. thought-, social-, land-, food-, health-, wild-scapes), simultaneously. There needs to be a paradigm shift in pastoral production systems and how grazing herbivores are managed –grazed- within them, derived initially from a change in perception of how they provide wealth. The thoughtscapes will include paradigm shifts where grazers move away from the actual archetype of pastoralism, future landscapes are re-imagined, and regenerative and sustainable management paradigms are put in place to achieve these visions. From this will come a change in collective thinking of how communities and cultures (socialscapes) perceive their relationships with pastoral lands. The landscapes are the biotic and abiotic four-dimensional domains or environments in need of nurture. Landscapes are the tables where humans and herbivores gain their nourishment, i.e. foodscapes. Foodscapes and dietary perceptions, dictate actions and reactions that are changing as developed countries grapple with diseases related to obesity, and people starve in developing countries. Societies are demanding healthscapes and nutraceutical foodscapes, and paradoxically, some are moving away from animal products. While indigenous species of animals, including humans (wildscapes), have been displaced from many of their lands by monotonic pastoralism, multifunctional pastoral systems can be designed in view of dynamic multi-scapes of the future. The purpose of this Research Topic is to influence future mental and practical models of pastoralism in continually evolving multi-scapes. We seek a collection of papers that will cultivate such a shift in thinking towards future models of sustainable multipurpose pastoralism. The contributions will be synthesized to establish how multifunctional pastoral systems can be re-imagined and then designed in view of the integrative dynamics of sustainable future multi-scapes.

Management Strategies for Sustainable Cattle Production in Southern Pastures is a practical resource for scientists, students, and stakeholders who want to understand the relationships between soil-plant interactions and pasture management strategies, and the resultant performance of cow-calf and stocker cattle. This book illustrates the importance of matching cattle breed types and plant hardiness zones to optimize cattle production from forages and pastures. It explains the biologic and economic implications of grazing management decisions made to improve sustainability of pastures and cattle production while being compliant with present and future environmental concerns and cattle welfare programs. - Documents the effects of cattle grazing on greenhouse gas emissions and carbon footprints - Discusses strategies to enhance soil fertility, soil health, and nutrient cycling in pastures - Provides information on the use of stocking rates, stocking strategies and grazing systems to optimize cow-calf production of weaned calves and stockers. - Presents innovations in cattle supplementation and watering systems to minimize negative impacts on water and soil health - Includes methods for weed control to maintain pasture condition and ecosystem stability - Describes management strategies to integrate cattle operations with wildlife sustainability

First published in 1966, Lockhart and Wiseman's Crop Husbandry Including Grassland has established itself as the standard crop husbandry text for students and practitioners alike. Radically revised and expanded, and with a new team of authors, the eighth edition confirms and extends its reputation.Part one looks at the basic conditions for crop growth with chapters on plant structure and growth, soil analysis and management, and the use of fertilisers and manures. There is also a new chapter on the influence of climate and weather. Part two surveys general aspects of crop husbandry. As well as a discussion of cropping techniques, there are new chapters on the important new areas of integrated crop management and organic crop husbandry, as well as discussion of seed selection and production. Part three then looks at how these general techniques are applied to particular crops, with chapters on cereals, root crops, fresh harvested crops, forage crops and combinable break crops. Part four considers the use of grassland with chapters on classification, sowing and management, grazing and conservation for winter feed.Lockhart and Wiseman's Crop Husbandry Including Grassland remains the standard text for general agriculture, land management and agri-business courses, and is a valuable practical reference for the farming industry. - The eighth edition has been widely expanded and remains the standard text for general agriculture, land management and agri-business courses - Includes new chapters on cropping techniques, integrated crop management and quality assurance, seed production and selection and the influence of climate - Discusses basic conditions for crop growth, how techniques are applied to particular crops, the influence of weather and the use of grassland

Grazing management might seem simple: just put livestock in a pasture and let them eat their fill. However, as Sarah Flack explains in The Art and Science of Grazing, the pasture/livestock relationship is incredibly complex. If a farmer doesn't pay close attention to how the animals are grazing, the resulting poorly managed grazing system can be harmful to the health of the livestock, pasture plants, and soils. Well-managed pastures can instead create healthier animals, a diverse and resilient pasture ecosystem, and other benefits. Flack delves deeply below the surface of "let the cows eat grass," demonstrating that grazing management is a sophisticated science that requires mastery of plant and animal physiology, animal behavior, and ecology. She also shows readers that applying grazing management science on a working farm is an art form that calls on grass farmers to be careful observers, excellent planners and record-keepers, skillful interpreters of their observations, and creative troubleshooters. The Art and Science of Grazing will allow farmers to gain a solid understanding of the key principles of grazing management so they can both design and manage successful grazing systems. The book's unique approach presents information first from the perspective of pasture plants, and then from the livestock perspective--helping farmers understand both plant and animal needs before setting up a grazing system. This book is an essential guide for ruminant farmers who want to be able to create grazing systems that meet the needs of their livestock, pasture plants, soils, and the larger ecosystem. The book discusses all the practical details that are critical for sustained success: how to set up a new system or improve existing systems; acreage calculations; paddock layout; fence and drinking water access; lanes and other grazing infrastructure; managing livestock movement and flow; soil fertility; seeding and reseeding pastures; and more. The author includes descriptions of real grazing systems working well on dairy, beef, goat, and sheep farms in different regions of North America. The book covers pasture requirements specific to organic farming, but will be of use to both organic and non-organic farms.