The integration of farming and cattle production activities in no-tillage system areas with winter cover crops can be an income supplement for summer grain farmers. However, many of them are afraid of adopting this integration system, because of possible negative effects of animal treading on soil attributes, mainly of those related to soil compaction. This study was conducted: (1) to determine the alterations in the soil physical attributes promoted by animal treading; (2) to verify if the alterations in soil attributes due to animal treading affect soybean establishment and grain yield. The experiment was carried out with a Rhodic Hapludox (Oxisol), under black oat + ryegrass pasture grazed at different heights (10, 20, 30 and 40 cm) and an ungrazed area. After one cycle of animal treading there were no significant modifications in soil bulk density, porosity and compressibility at different grazing heights. However, soil density and compressibility were higher and the porosity lower in the grazed plots. The soybean population and grain yield were not affected by modifications in the soil physical attributes.
integrated animal-farm system; soil compaction; soil compressibility; soybean yield
