Abstract
Grasslands represent significant natural resource with important role in economy and ecology of every country. Properly cultivated and utilized grasslands provide cheap and high quality food for sheep, which they easily transfer into milk and meat. However, extensive management has caused degradation of pasture areas. Improvement of production of forage plants on pastures is achieved by using melioration measures, primarily fertilization. Fertilization is important also from the aspect of increase of yield and quality of forage plants. The effect of application of fertilizer depends on the present plant species in the mixture. Application of nitrogen mineral fertilizers in mixtures reduces the nitrogen fixating abilities of leguminous species, which leads to the diminishing of their competitive abilities and favouring of the grass component in the mixture. Use of excessive quantities of N fertilizer in plants causes the accumulation of nitrates, as a unfavourable quality parameter in plant tissues, which can have harmful effect on animal health. Therefore, attention should be focused on application of N fertilizers, which should be harmonized with the plant requirements, so that used quantities are not excessive and harmful. Objective of this paper is to point out the significance of fertilization as one of the most important melioration measures.
Highlights
Decreasing trend has been present in sheep production in Serbia in recent years, as a consequence of the process of depopulation, abandoning of agricultural production and in general demographic emptying of villages, as well as existing system in sheep production based on traditional principles
Hilly-mountainous regions of Serbia disposes with significant agricultural-geographic potentials which can be best utilized for production of healthy, safe and high quality food such as lamb meat and sheep milk (Ružić-Muslić et al, 2007, 2006a)
According to statistical data from year 2010, 1.475.000 heads of sheep are reared in Serbia
Summary
Decreasing trend has been present in sheep production in Serbia in recent years, as a consequence of the process of depopulation, abandoning of agricultural production and in general demographic emptying of villages, as well as existing system in sheep production based on traditional principles (Ružić-Muslić et al., D.Ružić-Muslić et al.2006a, 2006b). Fertilization of grass-leguminous mixtures leads to increase of yield of green mass and dry matter. Due to nitrogen fixating abilities of leguminous plants, the quantities of nitrogen necessary for realization of certain yield of grassland forage are significantly reduced.
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