Compost Treatment for a Sustainable Growth in Natural Grassland in Hungary
Keywords:
compost application, crude protein content, dry matter yield, grassland management, natural grassland, sward compositionAbstract
Grassland ecosystems can be found on every continent, except Antarctica thanks to their high tolerance and adaptability. Moreover the grassland based animal husbandry is an ancient and easy way for food production even in regions where other agricultural sectors cannot be effective. On the other hand these ecosystems are not only valuable because of their role in food production. Grasslands take their share in carbon sequestration, erosion controlling and the conservation of biodiversity and that is why the European Union made strict rules about grassland management. In our experiment we tested two different types of compost - what are officially allowed in organic farming - on natural grassland in Hungary. Three rates of compost (10 t/ha, 20 t/ha, 30 t/ha) were tested on 3m X 10m experimental plots in four replication. Both type had four control plots too, this way we had 32 experimental plots. We measured the botanical composition in May and September, what was followed by harvesting and the measurement of the yield. Samples for laboratory analysis were also taken. Dry matter yield of the pasture showed positive responses to the rates of compost but the protein yield per unit area only grows until a certain point and then it drops down. Our results indicate that the application of these composts is a sustainable method of increasing the productivity of natural grasslands.
References
White, R., Murray, S. and Rohweder, M., Pilot Analysis of Global Ecosystems: Grassland Ecosystems, Washington DC, 2000, pp. 2
Soussana, J. F. and Lüscher, A., Temperate grassland and global atmospheric change: a review. Grass and Forage Science, 2007, 64, 127-134
Bazzoffi, P., Soil erosion tolerance and water runoff control: minimum environmental standards, Regional Environmental Change, 2009, 9, 169-179
Diacono, M. and Montemurro, F., Long term effects of organic amendments on soil fertility: a review, Agronomy for Sustainable Development, 2010, 30, 401-422
Hueso, S., García, C. and Hernández, T., Severe drought conditions modify the microbial community structure, size and activity in amended and unamended soils, Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 2012, 50, 167-173
Verrier, F.J. and Kirkpatrick, J.B. (2005): Frequent mowing is better than grazing for the conservation value of lowland tussock at Pontville, Tasmania, Austral Ecology, 2005, 30, 74–78
Chytrý, M., Dražil, T., H ájek, M., Kalníková, V., Preislerová, Z., Šibík, J., Ujházy, K., Axmanová, I., Bernátová, D., Blanár, D., Dančák, M., Dřevojan, Fajmon, K, Galvánek, D., Hájková, P., Herben, T., Hrivnák, R., Janeček, Š, Janišova, M., Jiráská, S., Kliment, J., Kochjarová, J., Lepš, J., Leskovjanská, A., Merunková, K., Mládek, J., Skezák, M., Šeffer, J., Šefferová, V., Škodová, I., Uhlířová, J., Ujházyová, M. and Vymazalová, M., The most species–rich plant communities in the Czech republic and Slovakia (with new world records), Preslia, 2015, 8, 217–278.
Swengel, A.B., Effects of management of butterfly abundance in tallgrass prairie and pine barrens, Biological Conservation, 1998, 83, 77–89.
D’Aniello, B., Stanislao, I., Bonelli, S. and Balletto, E., Haying and grazing effects on the butterfly communities of two Mediterranean–area grasslands, Biodiversity and Conservation, 2011, 20, 1731–1744
Buringh, P. and Dudal, R., Agricultural land use in space and time, in SCOPE,vol. 32, John Wiley and Sons, Chichester, 1987, 9–45.
Dungait, J.A., Bol, R. and Evershed, R.P., Quantification of dung carbon incorporation in a temperate grassland following spring application using bulk stable isotope determinations, Isotopes in Environmental and Health Studies, 2005, 41, 3–11
Fangueiro, D., Chadwick, D., Dixon, L., Grilo, J. and Walter, N., Short term N2O, CH4 and CO2 production from soil sampled at different depths and amended with a fine sized slurry fraction, Chemosphere, 2010, 81, 100–108
Borer, E.T., Seabloom, E.W., Gruner, D.S., Harpole, W.S., Hillebrand, H., Lind, E.M., Adler, P.B., Alberti, J., Anderson, T.M., Bakker, J.D., Biedermann, L., Blumenthal, D., Brown, C.S., Brudvig, L.A., Buckley, Y.M., Cadotte, M., Chu, C, Cleland, E.E., Crawley, M.J., Daleo, P., Damschen, E.I., Davies, K.F., DeCrappeo, N.M., Du, G., Firn, J., Hautier, Y., Heckmann, R.W., Hector, A., Hille Ris Lambers, J., Iribarne, O., Klein, J.A., Knops, J.M.H., La Pierre, K.J., Leakey, A.D.B., Li, W., MacDougall, A.S., McCulley, R.L., Melbourne, B.A., Mitchell, C.E., Moore, J.L., Mortensen, B., O’Halloran, L.R., Orrock, J.L., Pascual, J., Prober, S.M., Pyke, D.A., Risch, A.C., Shuetz, M., Smith, M.D., Stevens, C.J., Sullivan, L.L., Williams, R.J., Wragg, P.D., Wright, J.P. and Yang, L.H., Herbivores and nutrients control grassland plant diversity via light limitation, Nature, 2014, 508, 517–520.
Čunderlík, J. and Kizeková, M., The application of mineral and organic fertilizers and its impact on the quality and production of herbage at semi-natural grassland. In: Ecosystems and their function, Ed. Kováčiková, Z., Vargová, V. and Jendrišáková, 2012, 108-109
Štýbnarová, M., Mičová, P., Fiala, K., Karabcová, H., Látal, O. and Pozdíšek, J., Effect of organic fertilizers on botanical composition of grassland, herbage yield and quality. Agriculture (Poľnohospodárstvo), 2014, 60, 87–97.
Kádár I. and Ragályi I. NPK műtrágyázás és a foltszerű trágyaterhelés hatásának vizsgálata legeltetett ősgyepen, Gyepgazdálkodási közlemények, 2007, 5, 16-25
Sahs, W.W. and Lesoing, G., Crop rotations and manure versus agricultural chemicals in dryland grain production, Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, 1985, 40, 511-516.
