Model for calculating grassland yields and forage quality in North-East Germany on the basis of site and management characteristics

Abstract

Starting out from the results of extensive grassland experiments made in 40 years of professional work and from search in the relevant literature, an attempt was made to draw up a yield and quality model for grassland sites in the North-East German lowland area. For this, major influencing factors were evaluated and combined in a module by joining several databases. Validation of the results shows usable agreement between the measured yield and quality data and the calculated ones. The average absolute yield variation between the pairs of variates was 8.4 dt DM × ha 71 (1 dt = 100 kg), and the variation in quality was 0.4 MJ NEL kg DM 71 and 19.8 g CP kg DM 71 , respectively. Seven input data (site, climate, nutrient supply, water regime, vegetation type, nitrogen fertilization, intensity of use) for site characterization and intensity of management must be available when using the model. ObjectiveWhen changing the land use in larger grassland areas or in landscapes with certain grassland portions, data on the impacts on forage yields and quality are essential prerequisites for efficient planning and economic calculations.A wide methodological basis to describe the organizational and functional principles of land use systems is required for assessing the effects of land use in larger areas and for developing

Detecting trends in the quality and productivity of grasslands by analyzing the historical vegetation relevés: A case study from Southeastern Carpathians, Vlădeasa Mountains (Romania)

“…While studies that compare time series of vegetation parameters from long-term observation plots are ideal, they are scarce since they involve high costs and time involvement (Käding et al, 2005;Gillet et al, 2016).…”

“…The evaluation of grassland attributes and their changes under the influence of grazing livestock involves long term monitoring, which most often implies a trade-off between accuracy and efficiency. While temporal data series on livestock numbers and types can be compiled from agricultural censuses, data on the spatiotemporal dynamics of grassland quality and productivity for a particular area are seldom available, as part of long-term studies (Käding et al, 2005;Gillet et al, 2016). The analytical methods that involve cutting and weighing of phytomass for the evaluation of the productivity and respectively the chemical analyses for estimation of nutrient content, are accurate but very time and cost demanding (Catchpole and Wheeler, 1992;Angerer, 2012;Peratoner and Pötsch, 2019).…”

Profitability of Management Systems on German Fenlands

“…Vegetation is dominated by adapted native plant species such as common reed (Phragmites australis L.) and sedges (Carex spec. L.), which are not suitable for livestock feeding [33]. This type of land use is called paludiculture ("palus" means "mire" in Latin).…”

Management, methods and attitudes concerning grassland farming in Northern Germany

“…4.5). There are other interactions of environmental site conditions and management apart from climatic parameters that might have caused the differences among the sites (Neuwirth and Hofer, 2013;Käding et al, 2005). Although all sites had similar cultivation historythey had been extensively used as permanent grassland with a maximum of 100 kg N/hadifferences in the initial soil conditions (see Tab.…”

“…We assume that the low yields of moderate permanent grassland, intensive permanent grassland and ley grass were a result of complex interactions between site and soil conditions, former management, sward composition and new fertilization and cutting regime (e.g. Käding et al, 2005;Abassi et al, 2007).…”