Grass Clover Research Articles

Assessing the dry matter intake and enteric methane emissions of pre-partum dairy cows offered grass clover or grass-only silage from two different silage systems

Over the winter period, the low grass growth and availability in pasture-based dairy systems results in animals being housed and predominantly fed a diet of grass silage. There is limited availability of methane (CH4) data evaluating the impact of forage type on dairy cows over the pre-partum period. The objective of the current experiment was to evaluate the impact of feeding grass clover (GC) silage and grass-only (GO) silage on the dry matter intake (DMI) and enteric CH4 emissions of dairy cows pre-partum. A complete randomised block design was utilised for the 6-week experiment over two winter periods: from December 2020 to January 2021 and from December 2021 to January 2022. In each year, 30 non-lactating pregnant dairy cows were randomly allocated to two treatments (n = 15). In both years, cows in the GC treatment were offered grass clover bale silage, while cows in the GO treatment were offered grass-only pit silage. The DMI and gaseous emissions of individual animals were monitored daily using Hokofarm RIC (roughage intake control) feed stations and the GreenFeed technology. GC silage consistently had greater (p< 0.05) organic matter (OM) digestibility and lower (p< 0.05) neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and acid detergent fibre (ADF) contents when compared with GO silage. Cows in the GC treatment had significantly greater (p< 0.05) total DMI (TDMI) compared with cows in the GO treatment. The daily CH4 emissions (in grams per day) were not affected by treatment; however, cows in the GC treatment had reduced (p< 0.05) CH4 yield (in grams per kilogram TDMI). Offering dairy cows GC silage over the pre-partum period resulted in greater DMI with reduced CH4 yield when compared with cows offered GO silage.

Effect of Iodoform in Maize and Clover Grass Silages: An In Vitro Study

Iodoform has been shown to be an enteric methane-reducing agent. This study aimed to investigate if iodoform differentially affected maize (MS) and clover grass silage (GS). These substrates were used in four 22 h in vitro gas production fermentations with and without 0.032 mg/g of dry matter substrate of 0.064% iodoform in zeolite (IZ). The results of organic matter degradation (dOM, g/g), volatile fatty acids (VFAs, mMol/L), partitioning factor (PF, mg/mL), total gas production (TGP, mL/g OM), and periodic hydrogen and methane yield (mL/g OM) were evaluated. The interaction between substrate and IZ for dOM was significant with significantly less in GS. The interaction between substrate and additive was continuously significant for TGP. The additive in GS numerically decreased the TGP, but significantly increased TGP in MS. The interaction between substrate and additive was sporadically significant with methane, increasing the yield when IZ was added to MS, but a consistent, non-significant, decrease in yield was found when IZ was added to GS. Total VFA production and propionate content increased in both substrates with the addition of IZ, but only significantly in GS. Iodoform significantly decreased the efficiency of microbial conversion (PF) in both substates. Differential effects of iodoform on GS and MS were evident. More research is needed to determine the modes of action of iodoform.

Classifying Stand Compositions in Clover Grass Based on High-Resolution Multispectral UAV Images

In organic farming, clover is an important basis for green manure in crop rotation systems due to its nitrogen-fixing effect. However, clover is often sown in mixtures with grass to achieve a yield-increasing effect. In order to determine the quantity and distribution of clover and its influence on the subsequent crops, clover plants must be identified at the individual plant level and spatially differentiated from grass plants. In practice, this is usually done by visual estimation or extensive field sampling. High-resolution unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) offer a more efficient alternative. In the present study, clover and grass plants were classified based on spectral information from high-resolution UAV multispectral images and texture features using a random forest classifier. Three different timestamps were observed in order to depict the phenological development of clover and grass distributions. To reduce data redundancy and processing time, relevant texture features were selected based on a wrapper analysis and combined with the original bands. Including these texture features, a significant improvement in classification accuracy of up to 8% was achieved compared to a classification based on the original bands only. Depending on the phenological stage observed, this resulted in overall accuracies between 86% and 91%. Subsequently, high-resolution UAV imagery data allow for precise management recommendations for precision agriculture with site-specific fertilization measures.

Nutrient composition, fermentation characteristics and mass balance of press juice and press cake obtained from biorefining of grass‐clover and red clover silage

AbstractBiorefining is seen as a potential method to produce protein‐rich feed for monogastric farm animals from grassland, which does not compete with human nutrition. Therefore, a new biorefinery facility was constructed and tested in this experiment by using silages from grass clover mixture and red clover. After biorefining, press juice was stored for further use while press cake was re‐ensiled. Samples from silage, press juice, fresh press cake and re‐ensiled press cake were analysed for nutrient composition, fermentation parameters, amino acids (AA) and biogenic amines (BA) concentrations. Furthermore, digestibility of silage and re‐ensiled press cake was tested in wethers. We found that press juice contained about 205 g crude protein (CP), more than 180 g crude ash and more than 130 g volatile organic compounds (VOC, all values per kg dry matter [DM]). Furthermore, press juice had an unfavourable AA ratio for use as a monogastric feed (methionine and cysteine were reduced). Forage type hardly affected nutritive value of press juice. Re‐ensiling of press cake was successful as a sufficient decrease of pH and VOC concentration was observed. Press cake had 26–36 g/kg DM lower CP content and 0.77–1.12 MJ/kg DM lower metabolisable energy content than silage with greater differences in red clover than in grass clover mixture. Press juice can be used as feed in monogastric animals, but its use is limited due to its low CP content and unfavourable AA profile. Press cake could be an appropriate feed for ruminants, especially dry cows or heifers.

Similar root and stubble biomass carbon in grass–clover leys irrespective of yield, species composition, sward age, and fertilization

AbstractBackgroundCrop‐ and site‐specific quantification of non‐harvestable aboveground residues and root biomass is essential for predicting management‐induced changes in soil C storage.AimsThe aim of this study was to quantify stubble and root biomass C from productive grass–clover leys used for cutting as affected by fertilization and sward age.MethodsBased on an organic long‐term dairy crop rotations experiment with 4 years of grass–clover in a six‐course rotation, we examined the effects of fertilization (unfertilized and 300 kg total‐N ha−1 in cattle slurry) and sward age (1–4‐year‐old) on herbage yield and composition, stubble biomass, and composition and root biomass of grass–clover ley.ResultsLey duration and fertilization altered plant community composition and aboveground productivity but did not affect stubble and root biomass C.ConclusionsThe results question the use of yield‐dependent allometric functions for grass–clover ley used in simulation models and life cycle assessments for C accounting in agricultural systems. For predictions of soil C changes, we recommend the use of a fixed stubble‐derived C input from grass–clover ley regardless of sward age and fertilization‐induced differences in species composition, and herbage yield. Likewise, a fixed root‐derived C input for 1‐year‐old grass–clover, irrespective of fertilization, may be implemented. However, the contribution of continuous rhizodeposition and fine root turnover to root‐derived C input need to be accounted for.

Operation of a Pilot-Scale Biogas Plant Made of Textile Materials and Application of Its Results to a Full-Sized Demonstration Plant

In small German farms, there is a technically usable potential of cattle manure and pig manure ranging from 153 to 187 million tons of fresh matter per year. Since 2021 and 2023, new incentives under the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) have been promoting biogas production in small farms. These incentives, applicable to biogas plants up to 150 kWel, include direct compensations for plants up to 100 kWel and market premiums for those up to 150 kWel. A small biogas plant made of textile materials was designed for both pilot and full-scale applications. Compared to conventional concrete biogas reactors, these textile-based reactors offer a simplified construction and operation, eliminating the need for specialized civil engineering. The primary objective of this research is to demonstrate the process engineering feasibility of biogas reactors based on textile materials for small farm biogas plants (30 to 75 kWel). Another goal is to design the construction method in such a way that this type of system can be built by farmers themselves after type testing on site. Operational insights were gathered from the laboratory plant with a 300-L digester volume, using cattle manure and clover grass silage. To adapt the system to the biogas reactor made of textile materials, the reactor was designed without a stirrer. These insights were considered in the design and approval procedure of the full-sized demonstration biogas plant made of textile materials. The full-size demonstration plant digesters underwent an approval procedure from local authorities, featuring treatment volumes of 120 m3 for the main biogas reactor and 550 m3 for the digestate reactor in an earth basin style. This new type of biogas plant could be built in small farms for self-sufficiency in electrical and thermal energy or for treating sewage sludge in small-scale communal wastewater treatment and biogas plants.

Dynamics of weed growth in an apple orchard tree strip

The aim of this work is to visualise weed growth in an apple orchard tree-strip and how it develops under three different mulch treatments using a biological age modelling approach. Field data were obtained from a weed control experiment conducted in 2021 at the Kompetenzzentrum Obstbau Bodensee in Southwest Germany. A completely randomised experimental design with three different organic mulch treatments (grass clover silage, biodegradable spray or woodchips) and nine replicates used repeated time-series assessments to determine weed growth as weed area coverage (%), maximum height (cm) and mean height (cm). Assessments were conducted four times at monthly intervals from mid-May to early August. The weed growth rates estimated by the models were distinct for each treatment but common for all the assessed variables. Woodchip mulch was the best treatment to suppress weed growth, silage and spray mulch were less effective and gave similar results with a small benefit of the spray application. Typically, growth processes are non-linear across time and fitting a non-linear model can partition the existing biological variation in such a way that it forms a very good basis upon which to further explore repeated measures data. Given the very high variation in weed growth, field studies should be designed with a large number of repetitions (∼20) per treatment.

Composts of diverse green wastes improve the soil biological quality, but do not alleviate drought impact on lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) growth

AbstractIntense soil cultivation and climate change have detrimental effects on soils. Solutions are needed to improve the biological quality and water holding capacity of agricultural soils. A greenhouse experiment was conducted to investigate the interactive effect of compost application and drought stress on a soil/plant system in order to determine the improvement of soil quality and plant growth and the alleviation of drought stress. Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) was grown under greenhouse conditions in a sandy soil with sufficient mineral fertilizer application to test the effect of five compost types (three made from municipal garden and park wastes with differing nutrient contents, one from municipal household waste, and one from farm plant residues) applied at 30 Mg ha−1 dry weight, with which we compared soil quality and plant growth to soil without compost application. Treatment pots were irrigated or subjected to drought conditions during the last 14 days of lettuce growth. Assays of potential N mineralization during 28 days, dehydrogenase and β‐glucosidase activities, and a phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis were performed to assess effects on soil biological quality. Gas exchange, leaf relative water content, biomass, nitrogen accumulation, and root tip growth of lettuce were measured to investigate compost and drought stress effects on lettuce physiology. All composts improved indices of soil biological quality significantly, except for fungal abundance, relative to soil without compost. The greatest increase was obtained from farm compost, which significantly increased potential nitrogen (N) mineralization and soil enzyme activities of β‐glucosidase and dehydrogenase by factors of 4, 2, and 43, respectively. Furthermore, soil with farm compost generally showed a higher abundance of soil microbial organisms compared with soil without compost, which could be related to its high cellulose and hemicellulose contents. The lowest abundance of microbial organisms was generally found in soil with garden and park waste compost with a medium nutrient content, which could be related to its low organic matter content. The beneficial effect of compost on soil biological quality did not lead to improved lettuce growth, which suggests that soil biological quality (ameliorated by compost application) is not important for a fast‐growing crop, such as lettuce, that is sufficiently fertilized. Drought stress reduced aboveground lettuce biomass, root tip growth, and the abundance of most soil microbial groups significantly, but compost in soil did not alleviate these negative effects. In conclusion, the farm compost made from grass–clover, straw, and vegetable residues is superior to garden and park waste and household waste composts in terms of beneficial effects on soil biological quality. Compost clearly improved soil biological quality, but did not influence lettuce's response to drought stress. The knowledge gained in this study is useful for producing tailor‐made compost with desired effects of improved soil biological quality.

Influence of cultivation techniques on productivity and quality of meadow clover

Meadow clover (red clover) is the most important fodder plant in most parts of Russia. Positive characteristics of this plant are the presence of a significant amount of reserve nutrients (crude protein, protein, nitrogenfree extractive substances) in the composition of plant tissues, which provides high fodder value. As a legume, meadow clover accumulates in the soil organically bound nitrogen, a large amount of organic mass of crop root residues, enriching the soil with nutrients and contributing to the increase of its physical and mechanical properties. The disadvantage of this crop is its short productive life. In this regard, it is necessary to intensify the cultivation methods for a short period of use in order to obtain the greatest return from the crop in the fodder and agronomic aspect. Intensification of cultivation methods means everything that contributes to the increase of plant productivity: application of mineral and organic fertilizers to improve mineral nutrition, inoculation of seeds before sowing to mobilize and activate soil microflora and productive symbiosis between plants and microbiota, use of growth regulators to optimize photosynthesis processes. The study of the influence of these intensification methods was the purpose of our research. It was found that the use of estimated doses of mineral fertilizers contributed most optimally to the processes of yield formation and final productivity of clover grass. Among all the strains of nodule bacteria studied, inoculant strain 348a was the most effective because it is speciesspecific for meadow clover. The use of growth regulators Ribav Extra and Root Super is a positive technique that provides optimal growth and development of plants during vegetation. The methods studied also had a positive effect on the seed productivity of the clover plants, increasing yield and seed quality.

Grass clover swards: A way out for Dutch dairy farms under legislative pressure?

CONTEXTPolicy measures have been taken to improve water quality in the Netherlands. These measures include the abolishment of derogation, which allowed dairy farmers to go beyond the maximum application of 170 kg nitrogen (N) from organic fertiliser per hectare, and additional measures of the 7th Nitrates Action program. Grass-clover swards, known for their symbiotic N fixation, could be a strategy to deal with stricter N policies and can potentially improve the environmental sustainability and economic viability of Dutch dairy farms. OBJECTIVEThe aim was to assess the effects of stricter N policies on the farm structure, farm income and environmental performance of a representative Dutch dairy farm on a sandy soil, and to assess the effect of incorporating perennial ryegrass-red white clover (GCrw) swards and perennial ryegrass-white clover (GCw) swards into the grassland management of this farm using a model. METHODSA whole-dairy farm linear programming model was used with the objective function to maximize farm income. The model was combined with a farm nutrient balance and life-cycle assessment to determine the impact on nutrient surpluses and greenhouse gas emissions. We modelled a representative Dutch dairy farm with perennial ryegrass (PRG) before and after implementing stricter N policies. Thereafter, the implications of implementing GCrw and GCw swards was assessed. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONSIncluding the policy measures increased the share of maize land (+12%), decreased the number of dairy cows (-9 cows), reduced farm income (€-18,858 yr-1), led to similar greenhouse gas emissions (∼800 kg carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2-eq) per tonne (t) of fat and protein corrected milk (FPCM)), and resulted in a lower N surplus (-65 kg ha-1 yr-1) and phosphate surplus (-4.4 kg ha-1 yr-1) for a scenario with only PRG. The use of GCrw and GCw swards could partly compensate for the reduction in farm income (€+9,255 up to +14,706 yr-1). A combination of PRG, GCrw and GCw resulted in the highest farm income. The use of grass-clover swards only had the most positive effect on greenhouse gas emissions (767 kg CO2-eq t-1 FPCM) and N surplus (113 kg ha-1 yr-1). Sensitivity analysis showed the importance of yields and feed characteristics on the obtained farm income. SIGNIFICIANCEGrass-clover swards might partly compensate for the negative economic consequences of stricter N policies for Dutch dairy farms. Furthermore, implementing grass-clover swards reduced the GHG emission intensity of milk, but not always nutrient surpluses per hectare of farm land.

Marginal increase in nitrate leaching under grass–clover leys by slurry and mineral fertilizer

AbstractOn dairy farms, fertilization of grass-clover swards ensures stable grass yields but may increase the potential for nitrate leaching on light-textured soils. The aim of this study was to quantify the N use efficiency and nitrate leaching under fertilized grass-clover leys. The study was conducted over 2 years at two sites, with increasing applications of mineral fertilizer (0–480 kg available N ha−1) alone or in combination with a basic application of cattle slurry. For plots fertilized with mineral N, the N soil surface balance was independent of the application rate and in the same range as for unfertilized plots (− 11 to 51 kg N ha−1). However, when plots were fertilized with slurry N (+ mineral N), the surplus was substantially increased owing to the fraction of organic N applied in slurry (95–100 kg N ha−1) and higher biological N2 fixation inputs (55–228 kg N ha−1). The type of fertilizer had no effect on nitrate leaching across the full range of application rates. Nitrate leaching increased quadratically as a function of application rate, with a range of 3–117 kg N ha−1 (0.33–17 mg l−1 in soil solution sampled with suction cups) in the first year and less in the second year, when clover proportion was lower due to the self-regulatory nature of grass-clover mixtures. Importantly, the rate of marginal leaching increased with fertilization level: below 150 kg N ha−1 there was no additional leaching from fertilization and at 200 kg N ha−1 around 5% of additional fertilizer-N was leached. This is less than generally found for arable crops and thus even in intensive dairy systems, grass-clover leys are an environmentally favorable crop.

Environmental impacts of a novel biorefinery platform integrated with power-to-protein technology to decrease dependencies on soybean imports

The consistent population growth is directly tied to the annual rise in livestock production, placing a substantial burden on the crop sector that supplies animal feed. The Danish government has been relying on importing soybeans and soybean meal to be used as animal feed. However, this sparked environmental concerns that require more environmentally friendly solutions, such as self-sufficiency in animal feed production. The rise of green biorefineries allows new avenues of animal proteinaceous feed production using green biomass to produce leaf protein concentrate (LPC) and utilize side-stream products, such as brown juice and press cake, for feed-quality products. This study evaluated the combination of grass-clover biorefinery and the power-to-X concept, including power-to-protein technology, for its environmental sustainability through a consequential life cycle assessment (CLCA). The production of protein concentrate from organic grass clover exhibits optimal environmental performance when press cake and brown juice are used for bioenergy recovery. The findings indicate that combining a green biorefinery with power-to-protein to fully valorize the carbon and nitrogen content of brown juice and press cake into feed-grade protein can increase the environmental benefits. Such an integration resulted in an avoided impact of −995.9 kg CO2-eq/tonne of protein concentrate. The avoided impacts of climate change could be higher within the first 20 years due to a higher carbon sequestration rate. However, even after 20 years when a new carbon balance in the soil is reached, the environmental gain could be big enough to encourage the production and use of organic grass-clover protein concentrate.

Feeding alfalfa-grass or red clover–grass mixture baleage: Effect on milk yield and composition, ruminal fermentation and microbiota taxa relative abundance, and nutrient utilization in dairy cows

Our goal was to investigate the effect of diets containing baleages harvested from alfalfa-grass or red clover-grass mixture on production performance, ruminal fermentation and microbiota taxa relative abundance, milk fatty acid profile, and nutrient utilization in dairy cows. Twenty Jersey cows (18 multiparous and 2 primiparous) averaging (mean ± SD) 148 ± 45.2 days in milk and 483 ± 65.4 kg of body weight in the beginning of the study were used in a randomized complete block design with repeated measures over time. The experiment lasted 9 wk, with a 2 wk covariate period followed by 7 wk of data and sample collection (wk 4 and 7 used in the statistical analyses). Cows were fed diets containing (dry matter basis) 35% of a concentrate mash and the following forage sources: (1) 65% second- and third-cut (32.5% each) alfalfa-grass mixture baleages (ALF) or (2) 65% second- and third-cut (32.5% each) red clover-grass mixture baleages (RC). Diets did not affect dry matter intake, milk yield, and concentrations of milk fat and true protein. In contrast, milk fat yield tended to decrease and energy-corrected milk yield decreased with feeding RC versus ALF. The apparent total-tract digestibilities of dry matter, organic matter, and ash-free neutral detergent fiber, milk proportions of trans-10 18:1, cis-9,cis-12,cis-15 18:3, and total n-3 fatty acids, ruminal molar proportion of acetate, and plasma concentrations of Leu, Phe, and Val all increased in RC versus ALF. Diet × week interactions were found for several parameters, most notably ruminal molar proportions of propionate and butyrate, ruminal NH3-N, milk urea N, plasma urea N, and plasma His concentrations, urinary N excretion, enteric CH4 production, and all energy efficiency variables. Specifically, ruminal NH3-N and plasma urea N concentrations, urinary excretion of N, and CH4 production decreased in cows fed RC in wk 4 but not in wk 7. Milk urea N concentration decreased and that of plasma His increased with feeding RC during wk 4 and 7, although the magnitude of treatments difference varied between the sampling periods. Efficiency of energy utilization calculated as milk energy/metabolizable energy decreased and that of tissue energy/ME increased in RC versus ALF cows in wk 4, suggesting that ME was portioned toward tissue and not milk in the RC diet. Interactions were also observed for the relative abundance of the rumen bacterial phyla Verrucomicrobiota and Fibrobacterota, with cows offered RC showing greater values than those receiving ALF in wk 4 but no differences in wk 7. Several diet × week interactions were detected in the present study implying short-term treatment responses and warranting further investigations.

Feeding of Cows for Different Physiological Groups

The consumption of dry matter in animals adapted to heat stress as a result of feeding with a complex of bioactive compounds and their effect on metabolic processes was studied. The effect of feed additives on the milk productivity of cows, the quality of milk and the fatness of cows during the period of adaptation to heat stress was studied. The Flavo Vital complex of bioactive compounds was used as an additive, as well as corn silage, dry clover grass, barley, wheat bran, sifted wheat, soybean meal, corn grain and husk.

Nitrogen input on organic amendments alters the pattern of soil–microbe-plant co-dependence

The challenges of nitrogen (N) management in agricultural fields include minimizing N losses while maximizing profitability and soil health. Crop residues can alter N and carbon (C) cycle processes in the soil and modulate the responses of the subsequent crop and soil– microbe-plant interactions. Here, we aim to understand how organic amendments with low and high C/N ratio, combined or not with mineral N may change soil bacterial community and their activity in the soil. Organic amendments with different C/N ratios were combined or not with N fertilization as follows: i) unamended soil (control), ii) grass clover silage (GC; low C/N ratio), and iii) wheat straw (WS; high C/N ratio). The organic amendments modulated the bacterial community assemblage and increased microbial activity. WS amendment had the strongest effects on hot water extractable carbon, microbial biomass N and soil respiration, which were linked with changes in bacterial community composition compared with GC-amended and unamended soil. By contrast, N transformation processes in the soil were more pronounced in GC-amended and unamended soil than in WS-amended soil. These responses were stronger in the presence of mineral N input. WS amendment induced greater N immobilization in the soil, even with mineral N input, impairing crop development. Interestingly, N input in unamended soil altered the co-dependence between the soil and the bacterial community to favor a new co-dependence among the soil, plant and microbial activity. In GC-amended soil, N fertilization shifted the dependence of the crop plant from the bacterial community to soil characteristics. Finally, the combined N input with WS amendment (organic carbon input) placed microbial activity at the center of the interrelationships between the bacterial community, plant, and soil. This emphasizes the crucial importance of microorganisms in the functioning of agroecosystems. To achieve higher yields in crops managed with various organic amendments, it is essential to incorporate mineral N management practices. This becomes particularly crucial when the soil amendments have a high C/N ratio.

Species Enriched Grass–Clover Pastures Show Distinct Carabid Assemblages and Enhance Endangered Species of Carabid Beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) Compared to Continuous Maize

There is an urgent global need for the ecological intensification of agricultural systems to reduce negative impacts on the environment while meeting the rising demand for agricultural products. Enriching grasslands with floral species is a tool to promote diversity and the associated services at higher trophic levels, and ultimately, to enhance the agricultural landscape matrix. Here, we studied an organic pastures-based dairy production system with plant species enhanced grass–clover pastures with respect to the effect on the activity density, functional traits, carabid assemblages, and species richness of carabid beetles. To understand the effect of land management on carabid beetles, we studied two types of grass–clover pastures with low and relatively high plant diversities in an integrated crop–livestock rotational grazing system (ICLS). As a comparison, organic permanent grasslands and conventionally managed maize were studied. We installed pitfall traps for three weeks in early summer, and for two weeks in autumn. In total, 11,347 carabid beetles of 66 species were caught. Grass–clover pastures did not differ in activity density, functional traits, habitat guilds, or species richness, but conventional maize did show a higher activity density in autumn and a higher proportion of eurytopic species and mobile species compared to grass–clover pastures. On grass–clover pastures, we found more endangered species, Carabus beetles, and a distinct carabid assemblage compared to maize. However, we attribute the lack of an effect of increased plant diversity of the grass–clover pastures on carabid species richness and functional traits to the intensive grazing regime, which resulted in the compositional and structural homogeneity of vegetation. Still, the presence of specialized and endangered species indicated the potential for organically managed grass–clover pastures to promote dispersal through an otherwise depleted and fragmented agricultural landscape. By increasing crop diversity in ICLS, more resources for foraging and nesting are created; therefore, organically managed grass–clover pastures add to the multi-functionality of agricultural landscapes.

New agri-environmental measures have a direct effect on wildlife and economy on conventional agricultural land.

The objective of this article is to evaluate economic profits along with return on investment and also the impact of newly designed agri-environmental measures (AEM) on the presence of bioindicator species-European hare and roe deer-in comparison to conventionally cultivated agricultural land. The abundance of European hare was, on average, 4.5-6.7 times higher on AEM compared to the standard agricultural regime and 3.5-6.4 times higher in the case of roe deer in 2020 and 2021. From an economic point of view, the highest incomes were found for extensive orchard alleys and standard conventional crops-wheat and rapeseed rotation. The cash flow from extensive orchard was 4.3 times larger and wheat and rapeseed were 3.5 times larger than from the clover grass mixture. Moreover, the lowest value of operational expenses was found in the case of extensive orchard alleys. The payback period ranged from 16.02 years (wheat and rapeseed rotation) to 53.6 years (clover grass mixture). It is crucial not to assess the economic parameters separately but optimize them with sustainable wildlife management and other benefits that provide ecological and efficient directions of AEM for future generations. However, the performed economic analysis highlights the significantly lower incomes of most components of AEM. We see a principal issue of AEMs usage in the lack of strong incentives for farmers to maximize conservation outcomes. Therefore, the AEMs are often placed in locations with presumed low agriculture profit, which is often related to insignificant conservation effects. Thus, the incomparable AEMs profitability compared to conventional agriculture has to be reflected by the agricultural policy at the European Union level and subsidy policy of particular member states.

Towards multifunctional landscapes coupling low carbon feed and bioenergy production with restorative agriculture: Economic deployment potential of grass‐based biorefineries

Grass-based biomass from grasslands can be used as feedstock in green biorefineries (GBs) that produce a range of bio-products. In addition, adjustments made as part of crop rotation to increase areas under temporary grasslands can yield benefits such as carbon sequestration, increased soil productivity, reduced eutrophication, and reduced need for pesticides. A flexible modeling framework is developed to analyze the deployment options for GBs that use grass-clover to produce protein feed and feedstock for bioenergy. The focus was on optimal deployment, considering system configuration and operation, as well as land use changes designed to increase grass-clover cultivation on cropland. A case study involving 17 counties in Sweden showed that deployment of GB systems could support biomethane and protein feed production corresponding to 5%–60% and 13%–154%, respectively, of biomethane and soybean feed imports to Sweden in Year 2020. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

PHOTOSYNTHETIC PRODUCTIVITY OF MEADOW CLOVER CROPS COVERLESS AND UNDERCOVER CROPS, DEPENDING ON THE NORMS OF THEIR SOWING

The productivity of under-cover and no-cover sowings of meadow clover under different sowing rates of cover and under-sowing crops in the forest-steppe remains insufficiently studied, the choice of sowing method is determined by biological, soil-climatic conditions, economic and economic possibilities of the farm. The article presents the results of studies on the influence of the method of creating a grass stand and different sowing rates of cover crops and under seeding on the formation of photosynthetic productivity of meadow clover crops in the conditions of the right-bank forest-steppe of Ukraine. Research has established that the method of creating a grass stand and the rate of sowing of cover crops and seed crops significantly influenced the level of yield, the formation of indicators of the assimilation surface, photosynthetic potential and the use of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) by meadow clover grass stands. Research has established that the method of creating a grass stand and the rate of sowing of cover crops and seed crops significantly influenced the level of yield, the formation of indicators of the assimilation surface, photosynthetic potential and the use of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) by meadow clover grass stands. At the same time, it should be taken into account that no-cover sowing was in the second year, while under-cover sowing was in the first year of using the grass stand. In coverless crops, with an increase in the rate of sowing seeds, the area of the leaf surface increased. In all cases, increasing the sowing rate of cover crops reduced the leaf surface area of clover in the second year of life. The conducted studies showed that grass clover accumulates solar energy most effectively in the first year of use. The coefficient of use of PAR was in the range of 2,01-1,66%. Its maximum value was noted on the option with clover under-sowing under millet with the minimum rate of its sowing and the average meadow clover – 2,01%.

Raw material “Trifolii pratense herba” originated from southern Ukraine: diagnostic microscopic features and its antioxidant activity

As a result of pharmacognostic and pharmacological studies, diagnostic signs of Trifolii pratense grass collected in the phenophase of active flowering in the area of southern Ukraine were revealed. We have proposed the adoption of an appendix to the existing monograph of the State Service of Ukraine on Medicines and Drugs Control “Trifolii inflorescences”, with raw material of grass Trifolii pratense, with appropriate microscopic identification of diagnostic signs of leaves and stems of the plant. According to our previously found optimal conditions for extraction of medicinal plant raw materials (ratio of solvent-plant material, time and temperature of extraction), selected aqueous extract (1: 5) of clover grass with yields of maximum active substances to the extract from 60 min to 24 hours, which showed lower values of TBARS (0.541 ± 0.0291 μM / g, mean ± SD), which gives grounds to recommend the use of raw materials as an antioxidant, compared with the action of ascorbic acid.