Building soil carbon is essential for improving soil health, increasing water-holding capacity, and enhancing pasture productivity. Grazing systems offer a powerful opportunity to regenerate soils, especially when managed with intention and the right tools. Here are four proven strategies to build soil organic carbon in livestock systems.
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Maximise The Liquid Carbon Pathway
The ultimate goal is to maximise the amount of root exudates produced by plants, so that those plants can feed the mycorrhizal fungi to produce humus. This needs two components year long photosynthesis and effective photosyntesis. The following practices aim to either extend the photosynthetic ability of a plant AND/OR increase it’s photosynthetic ability. If you haven’t write the article yet, check out The Liquid Carbon Pathway
1. Grazing Management
Grazing is one of the most important ways to ensure the photosynthetic ability of the plant is maintained. Pasture growth can be described using the pasture growth curve below. During stage 1, plants rely on stored reserves, stage 2 plants are producting large amounts of photosynthates that enable growth and root exudation and stage 3 causes lignification of the older leaves causing the younger leaves to be shaded.
Therefore, it is important to maintain pastures in stage 2 to maximise the photosynthetic ability of the plan. Likewise when the plant is continously grazed in the image to the right, the plant has less leaf area to photosynthesize
Livestock accelerate carbon flow through their manure, urine, saliva, and through trampling plant residues into the soil. The key is timing.
To build soil organic carbon, manage grazing to stimulate photosynthesis without overgrazing. This means:
Allowing adequate rest for pastures to regrow, this can be anywhere between 30 to 90 days depending on context.
Moving animals frequently (rotational or adaptive grazing). Shorter the better but 4 days is a good trade between labour and results, 7 days is getting long.
Avoiding grazing too short (leave more leaf area to support root exudates). During the growing season, just taking the tops off is good while plants can get grazed further down during the dormancy.
Grazing too often or too short limits root development and reduces carbon flow into the soil. Well-managed grazing keeps plants photosynthetically active and maintains root exudation that feeds beneficial soil microbes.
2. Plant Diversity
Diverse pastures support diverse microbial communities and maximise biomass production and functionally. Different plant species produce a range of root exudates, root architectures, and residues that interact with the soil microbiome in unique ways.
Benefits of plant diversity include:
Better year-round ground cover
Enhanced photosynthesis from complementary growth habits
Greater carbon inputs from roots and aboveground biomass
Include warm- and cool-season grasses, legumes, and forbs in pasture mixes to optimise biomass production and extend the growing season. Multi-species pastures also support deeper roots and improve drought resilience—further supporting carbon stability.
3. Plant Nutrition
Healthy, well-nourished plants photosynthesise more efficiently and exude more carbon through their roots. To optimise carbon sequestration, ensure plants have the nutrients they need to thrive.
Focus on the key nutrients involved in photosynthesis:
Mg, Fe, Mn, P and N
and protein synthesis:
S, Mg, Mo, Ni, B
Also, reduce reliance on synthetic fertilisers where possible. High-salt fertilisers can suppress beneficial fungi that help stabilise carbon. Consider foliar nutrition and biological amendments to correct deficiencies without harming soil biology.
Altneratively, nutrition can be applied as a soil application or as feed suppliments. Below is a list of minerals and biostimulants and their role in livestock.
4. Microbial Inoculants
Soil microbes are central to carbon sequestration. Mycorrhizal fungi, free-living nitrogen fixers, and carbon-cycling bacteria all play roles in converting root exudates into stable soil carbon compounds.
Use microbial inoculants to:
Reintroduce missing functional groups after periods of fallow or chemical use
Enhance nutrient cycling and plant-microbe signalling
Increase humification processes (conversion of carbon into stable forms)
Inoculants can be applied through seed coatings, foliar sprays, or soil drenches. Prioritise products with proven compatibility for pastures and grazing systems.
Conclusion
Building soil carbon with livestock is achievable by aligning grazing, plant diversity, nutrition, and microbial life. These strategies don’t just improve the soil—they increase the productivity and resilience of your entire grazing operation. Implementing even one of these practices can create a positive feedback loop that accelerates regeneration and long-term profitability.
Build Soil Carbon With Livestock Through Agresol
If you’re looking at building soil carbon with livestock, then we can help! As you can tell we specialise in regenerativer practices that help farmers improve plant and soil health while making more money. You can get started with a Free 30min Consult HERE.
