Offered Papers Theme A: Efficient Production from Grassland
Description
Utilisation of grass/legume mixtures instead of grass monocultures is a sensible alternative for low input, efficient agricultural systems that reduce production costs, promote environmental policy and maintain a living countryside. Consequently, widely adapted forage legumes will become increasingly important. Instability of simple grass / legume mixtures with only one grass and one legume species is a major problem (Wachendorf et al., 2001). An experiment was established in 39 sites in Europe, Australia and Canada within COST Action 852 to: (1) assess the benefits of grass / legume mixtures in terms of forage production, (2) test whether the combination of fast and slow-growing species improves the stability of the mixtures and (3) assess response patterns over a large environmental gradient.
Citation
Kirwan, Laura; Bélanger, Gilles; Finn, J. A.; Fothergill, M.; Frankow-Lindberg, Bodil E.; Garcia-Sarrion, R.; Ghesquiere, A.; Golinski, P.; Helgadóttir, A.; Jørgensen, M.; Kadžiuliene, Z.; Nyfeler, D.; Nykänen-Kurki, P.; Parente, G.; Vasileva, V.; Collins, R.; Connolly, J.; Lüscher, Andreas; Porqueddu, Claudio; and Sebastià, M. T., "Higher Yield and Fewer Weeds in Four-Species Grass/Legume Mixtures Than in Monocultures: Results from the First Year at 20 Sites of Cost Action 852" (2023). IGC Proceedings (1989-2023). 131.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/igc/20/themeA/131
Included in
Agricultural Science Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Plant Biology Commons, Plant Pathology Commons, Soil Science Commons, Weed Science Commons
Higher Yield and Fewer Weeds in Four-Species Grass/Legume Mixtures Than in Monocultures: Results from the First Year at 20 Sites of Cost Action 852
Utilisation of grass/legume mixtures instead of grass monocultures is a sensible alternative for low input, efficient agricultural systems that reduce production costs, promote environmental policy and maintain a living countryside. Consequently, widely adapted forage legumes will become increasingly important. Instability of simple grass / legume mixtures with only one grass and one legume species is a major problem (Wachendorf et al., 2001). An experiment was established in 39 sites in Europe, Australia and Canada within COST Action 852 to: (1) assess the benefits of grass / legume mixtures in terms of forage production, (2) test whether the combination of fast and slow-growing species improves the stability of the mixtures and (3) assess response patterns over a large environmental gradient.
