Grass Production Research Articles

The LTAR Grazing Land Common Experiment at Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed.

The Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed (WGEW) Long-Term Agroecosystem Research (LTAR) network common experiment addresses the aspirational practice of brush management (BM) to reverse the prevailing condition of woody plant encroachment (WPE) and increase perennial native grass production. Across the western United States, the decision to implement BM includes consideration of management objectives, cost, and the expected impact on a diverse suite of ecosystem services. Maintaining or restoring grass cover will help meet the LTAR sustainable production, economic, and social goals, and averting degradation will meet environmental goals. This common experiment, focused on hydrologic and erosion impacts of BM, aims to inform land management decisions on three major plant communities in the Southwestern United States: creosote bush (Larrea tridentata), mesquite (Prosopis velutina), and pinyon-juniper (PJ, Pinus and Juniperus spp.). On the WGEW, applying tebuthiuron pellets to creosote bush increased grass cover and reduced runoff and erosion. The 2016BM experiment on the Santa Rita Experimental Range applied a commonly used liquid herbicide cocktail but achieved only 7% mortality on mesquite, probably because of the timing of the aerial application. Experiments manipulating rainfall amount and intensity on plots receiving fire, chemical, or mechanical BM treatments on PJ communities aim to improve process representation in simulation models. The deliverables of these BM experiments will be to (i) improve the performance of runoff and erosion models, (ii) enhance our ability to identify areas most at risk from reduced hydrologic function and soil erosion after shrub proliferation, and (iii) better predict how landscapes will respond to BM interventions. Ranchers, land management agencies, and watershed conservation organizations will benefit from training and availability of improved tools to focus treatments on areas where greatest net benefits might be realized.

An elucidation on productivity, energetics, and carbon footprint of different forage land-use systems in semi-arid tropics of Karnataka, India

Forages are rapid biomass-generating crops that often demand intensive management. They necessitate a clear understanding of energy flow and carbon (C) footprinting which in turn helps in optimization of production resources and environmental impact assessment. Therefore, a field experiment was conducted for five consecutive years (2019–2023) to ascertain eight forage crops’ productivity, energetics, and C footprint. The crops under the annual monoculture system were maize and cowpea. While, Napier, Guinea, Rhodes, Green panic, Anjan grass, and Signal grasses were under perennial monoculture system. The results revealed that, the Napier grass was superior in biological productivity by recording 28%–50% higher green fodder yield over other forages. The energy analysis indicated that the Guinea grass consumed the highest energy (61,719 MJ ha−1 Year−1) during production, while Napier grass showed the highest energy output (32,5991 MJ ha−1 Year−1). Further, Napier grass outperformed the rest in terms of energy use efficiency (5.49), energy productivity (2.39 kg MJ−1), net energy gain (266,641 MJ ha−1 Year−1), energy profitability (4.49), nutrient energy ratio (14.7), and human energy profitability (558). Similar to energy input, Guinea grass production showed the highest C input (970 kg-CE ha−1 Year−1). Whereas, highest C output was observed with Napier grass (56,694 kg-CE ha−1 Year−1) due to its substantial C gain (55,805 kg-CE ha−1), C-efficiency ratio (63.79), and C-stability index (0.98). Consequently, Napier grass can be adopted as a productive, energy profitable, and C-efficient forage crop in semi-arid tropical conditions.

Genome Editing for Grass Improvement and Future Agriculture

Abstract Grasses, including turf and forage, cover most of the earth’s surface; predominantly important for land, water, livestock feed, soil and water conservation, as well as carbon sequestration. Improved production and quality of grasses by modern molecular breeding is gaining more research attention. Recent advances in genome-editing technologies are helping to revolutionize plant breeding and also offering smart and efficient acceleration on grass improvement. Here, we reviewed all recent researches using (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein (Cas)-mediated genome editing tools to enhance the growth and quality of forage and turf grasses. Furthermore, we highlighted emerging approaches aimed at advancing grass breeding program. We assessed the CRISPR-Cas effectiveness, discussed the challenges associated with its application, and explored future perspectives primarily focusing on turf and forage grasses. Despite the promising potential of genome editing in grasses, its current efficiency remains limited due to several bottlenecks, such as the absence of comprehensive reference genomes, the lack of efficient gene delivery tools, unavailability of suitable vector and delivery for grass species, high polyploidization, multiple homoeoalleles, etc. Despite these challenges, the CRISPR-Cas system holds great potential to fully harness its benefits in grass breeding and genetics, aiming to improve and sustain the quantity and quality of turf and forage grasses.

The cost of operational complexity: A causal assessment of pre-fire mitigation and wildfire suppression

Pre-fire mitigation efforts that include the installation and maintenance of fuel breaks are integral to wildfire suppression in Southern California. Fuel breaks alter fire behavior and assist in fire suppression at strategic locations on the landscape. However, the combined effectiveness of fuel breaks and wildfire suppression is not well studied. Using daily firefighting personnel to proxy the quantity and diversity of potential fire suppression operations (i.e., operational complexity), we examined 15 wildfires from 2017 to 2020 in the Los Padres, Angeles, San Bernardino, and Cleveland National Forests to assess how weather and site-specific fuel break characteristics influenced wildfire containment when leveraged during suppression operations. After removing effects of fuel treatments, wildfire and aerial firefighting, we estimated that expanding fuel break width in grass-dominant systems from 10 to 100 m increased the average success rate against a heading fire from 31 % to 41 %. Likewise, recently cleared fuel breaks had higher success rates compared to poorly maintained fuel breaks in both grass (25 % to 45 %) and shrub systems (20 % to 45 %). Combined, grass and shrub systems exhibited an estimated success rate of 80 % under mild weather conditions (20th percentile) and 19 % under severe weather (80th percentile). Other significant determinants included forb and grass production, adjacent tree canopy cover and terrain. Consistent with complexity theory and previous suppression effectiveness research, our analysis showed signs of suppression effectiveness declining as firefighter personnel increased. Future work could better account for the role of suppression with improved data on firefighting resource types, actions, locations, and timing.

Growth-Promoting Bacteria, Silicon Supply and Nitrogen Fertilization in Zoysia Grass Production Area

ABSTRACT One of the alternatives for reducing nitrogen fertilization is the use of plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB), such as Pseudomonas fluorescens and Azospirillum brasilense, which can provide a sustainable form of production, with increased profitability for rural producers, because bacteria are a low-cost technology compared to fertilizer. In view of the above, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of inoculation with plant growth-promoting bacteria (P. fluorescens and A. brasilense) combined with the supply or not of Si and doses of nitrogen (N) in zoysia grass sod production area. The experimental design was in randomized blocks with 12 treatments arranged in a 3 × 2 × 2 factorial scheme, with four replications, in plots of 9 m2. The treatments were: two inoculations with PGPB (A. brasilense and P. fluorescens) and non-inoculated, combined with two doses of N, with or without supply of Si through fertilization (through the commercial fertilizer known as Potasil). There was an increase in the shoot dry matter with the supply of Si, the standard dose of N and the inoculation with PGPB. The standard dose of N promoted an increase in the content of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) in the shoot of Zoysia japonica. There was an effect of inoculation with plant growth-promoting bacteria combined with the supply of silicon and N rates in the zoysia grass production area, where the use of Pseudomonas combined with the application of Si with 75% of the N dose is recommended.

Interactions between soil and other environmental variables modulate forest expansion and ecotone dynamics in humid savannas of Central Africa.

Forest expansion into savanna is a pervasive phenomenon in West and Central Africa, warranting comparative studies under diverse environmental conditions. We collected vegetation data from the woody and grassy components within 73 plots of 0.16 ha distributed along a successional gradient from humid savanna to forest in Central Africa. We associated spatially collocated edaphic parameters and fire frequency derived from remote sensing to investigate their combined influence on the vegetation. Soil texture was more influential in shaping savanna structure and species distribution than soil fertility, with clay-rich soils promoting higher grass productivity and fire frequency. Savanna featuring woody aboveground biomass surpassing 40 Mg ha-1 could escape the grass-fire feedback loop, by depressing grass biomass below 4 Mg ha-1. This thicker woody layer also favoured the establishment of fire-tolerant forest pioneers, which synergically contributed to the expansion of forests. Conversely, savannas below this fire suppression threshold sustained a balance between trees and grasses through the grass-fire feedback mechanism. This hysteresis loop, particularly pronounced on clayey soils, suggests that the contrast between grassy savanna and young forests might represent alternative ecosystem states, although savannas with low woody biomass remained vulnerable to forest edge encroachment.

Calibration and evaluation of a CROPGRO Perennial Forage Model for Brachiaria humidicola yield simulation under future climate in subhumid environments of Ethiopia

Crop simulation models can be employed to assess the impacts of climate change and aid in strategic planning and decision making regarding forage strategies. This study focused on calibrating and assessing the performance of the CROPGRO Perennial Forage Model in simulating Brachiaria humidicola yield under projected future climates for high and moderate representative concentration pathway (RCP) scenarios in the central and western subhumid regions of Ethiopia. The model was calibrated to accurately represent rainfed growth and biomass yield, using field data from the Debre Zeit and Bako Agricultural Research Centers. Climatic data, including rainfall, temperature and solar radiation, were sourced from weather stations, whereas future climate scenarios for the near future, mid-century and end-of-century periods were derived from the CORDEX Africa outputs under RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5. The calibration process refined species parameters related to vegetative partitioning, and enhanced the d-statistic and reduced the root mean square error (RMSE) for herbage, leaf, stem and total biomass accumulation. Despite projected decreases in leaf biomass, stem biomass is projected to increase. In addition, there are projected increases in herbage and total biomass accumulation under elevated greenhouse gas concentrations and warmer temperatures. Ultimately, the projected climate under both RCPs had no significant effect on Brachiaria humidicola grass production in Ethiopia.

Groundwater level effects on greenhouse gas emissions from undisturbed peat cores

Peat soils store a large part of the global soil carbon stock, which can potentially be lost when they are drained and taken into cultivation, resulting in CO2 emission and land subsidence. Groundwater level (GWL) management has been proposed to mitigate peat oxidation, but may lead to increased emissions of nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4).The aim of this experiment was to study trade-offs between greenhouse gas emissions from peat soils as a function of GWL. We incubated 1 m deep, 24 cm diameter undisturbed bare soil cores, after removal of the grass layer, from three contrasting Dutch grassland peat sites for 370 days at 16 °C. The cores were subjected to drying-wetting cycles, with the GWL varying between near the soil surface to 160 cm below the surface. We measured gas fluxes of CO2, N2O and CH4 from the soil surface, extracted pore water for DOC and mineral nitrogen analysis, and measured soil hydraulic and shrinkage characteristics.Emissions of CO2 increased after lowering the GWL, but showed different GWL-response curves during rewetting of the soil. On average, highest CO2 emissions of 1.5 g C·m−2 day−1 were found at a GWL of 80 cm below the surface. However, the 0 cm GWL was the only treatment with significantly lower CO2 emissions than other GWLs. Cumulative CO2 emissions differed significantly between sampling sites. Emissions of N2O showed a different response, peaking at GWL heights above −20 cm, particularly after a recent GWL rise. Though not significantly different, the highest N2O emissions were measured at the 0 cm GWL treatment. We confirmed this pattern for N2O in un-replicated soil cores with grass sward, although emission values were lower in these cores due to the root uptake of mineral nitrogen. CH4 emissions or −uptake remained low under any GWL. We conclude that raising the GWL is a successful strategy to reduce CO2 emissions from peat oxidation. However, raising the GWL close to the soil surface could lead to N2O emissions that negate any gains in terms of global warming potential. Our results suggest that raising the GWL in peat grasslands to −20 cm creates such a risk. A constant GWL at the surface (0 cm) would be preferential for mitigating both CO2 and N2O emissions, although such conditions don’t allow for agricultural grass production (mowing or grazing).

Применение биоугля на основе отработанных грибных блоков в условиях агротемно-серых почв

Recycling of organic waste from mushroom production will improve their environmental safety and optimize the applied agricultural technologies. The aim of the work was to assess the environmental performance of the agricultural technology of using a soil fertilizing material – biochar obtained from spent lignin-cellulose mushroom blocks. It was found that the introduction of biochar from mushroom production waste materials into Gray-Luvic Phaeozems Hortic helps stabilize soil organic matter and increase the productivity of lawn grasses. It was noted that the quality and agroecological efficiency of biochar obtained from spent mushroom blocks based on cereal straw are significantly higher than biochar from spent mushroom blocks based on sunflower husk. Keywords: SOIL ORGANIC MATTER, CO2 EMISSION, SUNFLOWER HUSK, LAWN GRASSES, OYSTER MUSHROOM

Evaluation of Brachiaria Decumbens Production by Humus Plus Mycograss Biofertilisers Effect

Objective: This research was carried out in Pichincha Province, San Miguel de los Bancos Canton, San Bernabe Sector, in which the agronomic performance of Brachiaria decumbens was evaluated, by applying different levels of humus: 2, 4, 6, and 8 ton/ha plus 4 kg/ha of mycorrhizae, compared to a control treatment (T0). Theoretical Framework: Producers around the world have taken up organic agriculture with intensive crops, not only in products for human consumption but also in the production of pasture and fodder for animal feed, because it has been proven that the use of biofertilisers such as humus and mycorrhizae improve the physical and nutritional conditions Method: 20 experimental units were used with an area of 25 m2, each with 4 replicates giving a total area of 500 m2. The distribution of treatments was performed through a complete randomized block design with four replications (RCBD). Results and Discussion:When the results were evaluated, the best production was achieved, when using 8 ton/ha of humus more than 4 kg/ha of mycorrhizae in pastures, showing in the first and second cutting the plant height in 30 days (53.40 and 65.85 cm), coverage area during 30 days (91.44 and 91.06 %), production of biomass grass (3.16 and 9.95 ton/ha), and dry matter production (0.55 to 1.75 ton/ha) respectively. When using 0 ton/ha of humus with 4 kg/ha of mycorrhizae in the second replicate, a benefit/cost of 1.24 was obtained; with a profitability of 24%. Thus It is recommended to use 8 ton/ha of humus with 4 kg/ha of mycorrhizae because their profitability was better in the production. Research Implications: In the fight against climate change, the use of synthetic fertilisers has been the subject of objections from the scientific community. For this reason, a new front of work is opening up in the search for strategies to mitigate the adverse effects of chemical fertilisers with a high carbon footprint. Originality/Value: The relevance and value of this research are very important at level to Ecuador as an alternative to replace the use of synthetic fertilizer in pastures.

Yellow Dwarf Virus Resistance in Barley: Phenotyping, Remote Imagery, and Virus-Vector Characterization.

Yellow dwarf viruses (YDVs) spread by aphids are some of the most economically important barley (Hordeum vulgare) virus-vector complexes worldwide. Detection and control of these viruses are critical components in the production of barley, wheat, and numerous other grasses of agricultural importance. Genetic control of plant diseases is often preferable to chemical control to reduce the environmental and economic cost of foliar insecticides. Accordingly, the objectives of this work were to (i) screen a barley population for resistance to YDVs under natural infection using phenotypic assessment of disease symptoms, (ii) implement drone imagery to further assess resistance and test its utility as a disease screening tool, (iii) identify the prevailing virus and vector types in the experimental environment, and (iv) perform a genome-wide association study to identify genomic regions associated with measured traits. Significant genetic differences were found in a population of 192 barley inbred lines regarding their YDV symptom severity, and symptoms were moderately to highly correlated with grain yield. The YDV severity measured with aerial imaging was highly correlated with on-the-ground estimates (r = 0.65). Three aphid species vectoring three YDV species were identified with no apparent genotypic influence on their distribution. A quantitative trait locus impacting YDV resistance was detected on chromosome 2H, albeit undetected using aerial imaging. However, quantitative trait loci for canopy cover and mean normalized difference vegetation index were successfully mapped using the drone. This work provides a framework for utilizing drone imagery in future resistance breeding efforts for YDVs in cereals and grasses, as well as in other virus-vector disease complexes.

Correlation between perennial grass productivity and landscape and climatic conditions

The yield monitoring (1998–2023) of cloverothymothy grass stands of 1 year of use within the moraine hill was carried out in order to find patterns in the influence of weather conditions on it. The grass stands were operated in the conditions of the Tver region without fertilizers in a single-cut mode on a field divided into 120 plots. Using regression analysis, we determined the influence of temporal variability of average monthly values: average daily temperatures, their amplitude, amount of precipitation and hydrothermal coefficient on the hay yield of perennial grasses. It was revealed that in total these parameters determine about 43% of the variability in grass productivity, but fluctuations in temperature amplitudes are responsible for 32% of the temporal variability of the yield. The yield of herbs is affected by the variability of growing conditions not only in time, but also in space. The negative impact on the yield of air temperature changes is observed in all parts of the landscape, except for the flat top, where productivity responds positively to the growth of the hydrothermal coefficient and negatively to the increase in air temperatures in the pre-harvest period. The following have a negative impact on product yield: temperature changes in late summer and early autumn, especially on southern slopes, which can make it difficult for plants to overwinter; thaws in March, causing the formation of an ice crust on the soil surface and damaging the tillering nodes of plants; hot days in the pre-harvest period, accelerating the ripening of grasses and reducing the intensity of biomass accumulation. February thaws, promoting the accumulation of moisture in the soil, lead to an increase in grass yield. Measures that reduce the negative impact of temperature changes on the grass harvest include: autumn mowing of young grass, snow retention in meadows, and sprinkling of grass on the hottest days of the pre-harvest period.

Soil quality indicators related to the deterioration of Kikuyu grass Cenchrus clandestinus (Hochst. ex Chiov.) Morrone

Inadequate grassland management has resulted in the degradation of extensive areas, loss of productivity and sustainability of many of them, reflecting a common reality among livestock farmers in Colombia. Therefore, at the Paysandú Agricultural Station of the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, located in the Santa Elena township of the city of Medellín, a study was carried out to determine a soil quality index (SQI) by evaluating the physical and chemical indicators that were most related to the deterioration and dry matter production of kikuyu grass (Cenchrus clandestinus). A minimum data set (MDS) was established for the most sensitive indicators, selected by principal component analysis (PCA), and a nonlinear scoring function was used to obtain the SQI. Statistical differences were found between all the treatments in relation to dry matter production (P<0.05: 1.91x10-32). The most sensitive indicators were bulk density BD > total porosity TP > macropores MAC > micropores MIC > penetration resistance PR > effective cation exchange capacity ECEC > pH. As a result, the following formula was obtained: SQI = (0.225×BD) + (0.224×TP) + (0.220×MAC) + (0.218×MIC) + (0.113×PR) + (0.0879×ECEC) + (0.0877×pH). This index should be tested in kikuyu grass-dominated pastures located in the Colombian high tropics. The baseline is critical at values > 0.58 Mg m-3 for BD and > 2.25 MPa for PR. In addition, the optimum pH range for kikuyu grass development was between 5.4 and 6.4.

Unraveling the forage productivity puzzle: Comparing fast and slow-growing grasses.

Functional traits are powerful tools for distinguishing between plants with different resource acquisition strategies. Fast-growing plants normally dominate resource-rich habitats and present trait values associated with high productivity, such as high specific leaf area (SLA), short leaf lifespan, and rapid leaf elongation rate (LER). In contrast, slow-growing species have a higher leaf weight ratio (LWR), leaf lifespan (LLS), and phyllochron, which are useful traits for survival in stressful and unfertile environments, but are normally thought to be incompatible with high productivity, even under fertile conditions. We tested the hypothesis that slow-growing forage grasses have demographic parameters (tiller population density and canopy density) that offset their slow individual traits, making them as productive as fast-growing species when grown in fertile soil. Species with contrasting growth strategies (Arrhenatherum elatius L. and Festuca arundinacea Schreb cv. Quantum II, fast and slow-growing species, respectively) were cultivated in 45 m2 field plots and subjected to the same cutting regime and nitrogen supply level. Functional traits and canopy attributes were continuously measured during 8 growing cycles after the establishment of the swards. A. elatius had higher SLA, LER, leaf senescence, and leaf appearance rates, whereas F. arundinacea had higher LLS and LWR values. Conversely, there were no differences in relative growth rate or forage accumulation. F. arundinacea was able to offset their plant functional traits, typically associated with slow-growing grasses, with some demographic parameter like higher tiller population density, allowing it to be as productive as the fast-growing A. elatius when both were grown in fertile soil. Therefore, we suggest cautionary use of traditional plant functional traits to explain and predict the annual productivity of slow-growing grasses.

Pre-scaling up of Desho grass technologies at highlands of Guji Zone, Oromia, Ethiopia

Forage production is fundamental for livestock production. This activity was conducted to increase the production of improved Desho grasses, to increase wider demand for desho grass technologies, and to strengthen stakeholders’ linkage on desho grass production. In the 2022/23 and 2023/24 seasons, 64 farmers were selected from eight kebeles in Bore, Arda Jila Mea Boko, and Ana Sora districts, based on their livestock and desho grass production. Kindo Kosha DZF No# 591 and Areka DZF No# 590 improved desho grasses were pre-scaled with the recommended 50cm between rows and 10cm tillers, and 100 kg/ha NPS fertilizer was applied during planting, followed by 50 kg/ha UREA after establishment of the tillers. Desho grasses were promoted in areas ranging from 100 m2 to 400 m2. Training and a mini-field day were used to promote Desho grasses. Plot cover, plant height, regeneration, fresh biomass, and survival rate were collected through interviews and analyzed using descriptive statistics. The findings revealed that the Kindo Kosha DZF No# 591 variety (3.98) covered the land more than Areka DZF No# 590 (3.51). The higher plant height was recorded from Kindo Kosha DZF No# 591 (95.83 cm), followed by Areka DZF No# 590 (82.95 cm). Regenerations following harvest can provide more feed from fixed land. Farmers reported that Kindo Kosha DZF No# 591 and Areka DZF No# 590 varieties have 90.91% and 84.61% regeneration capacity, respectively. The Kindo Kosha DZF No# 591 variety has a higher survival rate (91.13%) than the Areka DZF No# 590 variety (87.22%). The grasses performed well in terms of fresh biomass yield, plot coverage, plant height, regeneration capability, and survival rate on farmers' fields and their production can help to alleviate feed shortages in the highlands of the Guji zone. As a result, Kindo Kosha DZF No# 591 and Areka DZF No# 590 desho grasses should be disseminated to highland areas of the Guji zone.

The effects of fertilizer pretreatment on nitrogen cycling in an intensively managed temperate grassland

Effective nitrogen (N) management is essential for minimizing fertilizer nutrient losses and maximizing N use efficiency. This study, conducted over two years on permanent grassland sites in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, explored the effects of urea treatment with a urease inhibitor and digestate acidification on N-cycling and yield performance in a temperate maritime grassland context. Micro plots within these grasslands received varying N rates via acidified (with sulphuric acid) or non-acidified digestate (biogas residues), urea treated with- or without urease inhibitor (N-(n-butyl) thiophosphoric triamide) or calcium ammonium nitrate. Parameters measured included dry and N matter accumulations, NH3 volatilization, N2O emissions, NO3--N leaching, methane (CH4), and total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from soils. The findings demonstrated that the acidified digestate consistently enhanced metabolizable energy (ME), N yields (up to 47 %) and the apparent N recovery (ANR). While the acidified digestate and treated urea concurrently reduced NH3 emissions, the treated urea did not significantly affect (p> 0.05) dry matter (DM) and N yields, ANR, or total GHG emissions. Thus, digestate acidification or urea N stabilization could effectively mitigate the environmental impact of forage grass production while maintaining higher or comparable yields. However, higher risks of pollution swapping to groundwater bodies may result from higher N input rates. Applying acidified digestate or stabilized urea N to grasslands at a 120 kg mineral N ha−1 rate offers a practical approach, yielding appreciable N and ME while minimizing N losses.

Growth Curve and Biomass Production of Mestizo Blend Grass (Brachiaria Hybrid) Fertilized with Bokashi-Type Compost

The forage rejected by sheep and goats together with manure, can be considered a problem for the producer when there is no effective strategy to reuse it, in addition, the use of chemical fertilizers to improve the production of forage is a source of environmental pollution. The transformation of these residues into organic fertilizers can be an efficient strategy to re-place the use of chemical fertilizers and maintain forage production. Thus, a field experiment was carried out to evaluate the growth curve and the biomass production of Mestizo blend grass fertilized with Bokashi-type compost. Bokashi was made using waste from sheep and goats as a source of manure and stubble. In a Mestizo grass meadow, apply Bokashi, a dose of 2 T /Ha. With these data, the growth curve was constructed and determined biomass production. An ef-fect of fertilization with Bokashi was found on the growth and biomass accumulation of Mestizo blend grass, being greater from day 14 after fertilization compared to unfertilized grass. On day 49, the grass fertilized with bokashi reached a height of 40 cm and produced 1.795 T/Ha, while the grass without fertilizer grew 31.1 cm and produced 1.231 T Ha-1. Therefore, it is concluded that, under the experimental conditions, the application of Bokashi at a rate of 2 tons per hectare is an effective strategy to increase the biomass production of Mestizo blend grass.

Heterogeneity promotes resilience in restored prairie: Implications for the environmental heterogeneity hypothesis.

Enhancing resilience in formerly degraded ecosystems is an important goal of restoration ecology. However, evidence for the recovery of resilience and its underlying mechanisms require long-term experiments and comparison with reference ecosystems. We used data from an experimental prairie restoration that featured long-term soil heterogeneity manipulations and data from two long-term experiments located in a comparable remnant (reference) prairie to (1) quantify the recovery of ecosystem functioning (i.e., productivity) relative to remnant prairie, (2) compare the resilience of restored and remnant prairies to a natural drought, and (3) test whether soil heterogeneity enhances resilience of restored prairie. We compared sensitivity and legacy effects between prairie types (remnant and restored) and among four prairie sites that included two remnant prairie sites and prairie restored under homogeneous and heterogeneous soil conditions. We measured sensitivity and resilience as the proportional change in aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) during and following drought (sensitivity and legacy effects, respectively) relative to average ANPP based on 4 pre-drought years (2014-2017). In nondrought years, total ANPP was similar between remnant and restored prairie, but remnant prairie had higher grass productivity and lower forb productivity compared with restored prairie. These ANPP patterns generally persisted during drought. The sensitivity of total ANPP to drought was similar between restored and remnant prairie, but grasses in the restored prairie were more sensitive to drought. Post-drought legacy effects were more positive in the restored prairie, and we attributed this to the more positive and less variable legacy response of forb ANPP in the restored prairie, especially in the heterogeneous soil treatment. Our results suggest that productivity recovers in restored prairie and exhibits similar sensitivity to drought as in remnant prairie. Furthermore, creating heterogeneity promotes forb productivity and enhances restored prairie resilience to drought.

Plasma treated cattle slurry with modest fertilizer effect on grass.

Abstract Plasma-based nitrogen enrichment of organic fertilizers is a process that utilizes plasma technology and electricity to infuse liquid biobased fertilizers with atmospheric Nitrogen (N), doubling plant-available N content. The final product is labeled as Nitrogen-Enriched Organic Fertilizer (NEO). This study investigates and compares the applicability of NEO against conventional fertilizers in grass production during 2020-2023 across two regions in Norway. Regarding different fertilizers' N efficacy, in the trials featuring only grasses, applying 210 kg N ha -1 in NEO yielded dry matter (DM) and N yield comparable to those achieved with 149 and 154 kg N ha -1 in mineral fertilizer, respectively. Besides, the untreated cattle slurry and mineral fertilizer combination containing 210 kg N ha -1 resulted in a DM and N yield equivalent to 178 and 180 kg N ha -1 in mineral fertilizer. In the grass-clover mixture trials, NEO and mineral fertilizers reduced the clover content, significantly influencing the overall yield. Merging the results from all trials (2021-2022), it was found that given identical N-min content, standalone mineral fertilizer, and the untreated slurry and mineral fertilizer combination resulted in ~19% and ~28%, and ~14% and ~13.5% higher DM and N yields than NEO, respectively. Further, NEO provided ~9% and ~25% higher DM and N yields than untreated slurry. Notably, NEO's N-min content was nearly double that of untreated slurry (210 vs. 107 kg N ha -1 ). Nonetheless, a supplementary trial (2023) employing different NEO variants with reduced nitrite and elevated nitrate levels returned more promising results than those examined in prior years. Still, ~9% and ~6% less DM and N yield than mineral fertilizer with identical 210 kg N ha -1 content. Our findings suggest that although a considerable N fraction of NEO did not translate to yields compared to other fertilization treatments, and given that NEO is an evolving product, the NEO's enhanced performance in the final study year highlights the necessity for continued research and optimization to fully unlock and utilize the potential advantages of NEO in future agriculture.

The effect of mineral fertilizers on the productivity of perennial grasses in a long-term stationary experiment

The effect of mineral fertilizers on the productivity of perennial grasses in a long-term stationary experiment