Temperate Pasture Research Articles

Permanent pastures identification in Portugal using remote sensing and multi-level machine learning

IntroductionThe Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is a vital policy framework implemented by the European Union to regulate and support agricultural production within member states. The Land Parcel Identification System (LPIS) is a key component that provides reliable land identification for administrative control procedures. On-the-spot checks (OTSC) are carried out to verify compliance with CAP requirements, typically relying on visual interpretation or field visits. However, the CAP is embracing advanced technologies to enhance its efficiency.MethodsThis study focuses on using Sentinel-2 time series data and a two-level approach involving recurrent neural networks (RNN) and convolutional neural networks (CNN) to accurately identify permanent pastures.ResultsIn the first step, using RNN, the model achieved an accuracy of 68%, a precision of 36%, a recall of 97% and a F1-score of 52%, which indicates the model’s ability to identify all the true positive parcels (correctly identified permanent pasture parcels) and minimize the false negative parcels (non-identified permanent pasture parcels). This occurs due to the difficulty in distinguishing between permanent pastures and other similar land covers (such as temporary pastures and shrublands). In the second step, it was possible to distinguish the permanent pasture parcels from the others. The obtained results improved significantly from the first to the second step. Using CNN, an accuracy of 93%, a precision of 89%, and a recall of 98% were achieved for the “Permanent pasture” class. The F1-score was 94%, indicating a balanced measure of the model’s performance.DiscussionThe integration of advanced technologies in the CAP’s control mechanisms, as demonstrated, has the potential to automate the verification of farmers’ declarations and subsequent subsidy payments.

The association between pasture systems, dung removal and colonization by a local Australian temperate dung beetle assemblage

Abstract Herbivore dung quality (physical and chemical parameters) varies between animal species and animal diet which is influenced by seasonal fluctuations and farm management practices. Subsequently, this influences the reproductive success of dung beetles. In Australian pasture systems, how the introduced dung beetle assemblage interacts in the field with cattle dung derived from different resources is unknown. This study quantifies the colonization by dung beetles (abundance, species richness and evenness) and removal of cattle dung derived from three common temperate pasture systems (improved native, forage oat and rye/clover pasture, henceforth dung type) over 24 h for 12 months. From the three dung types, 13 species of dung beetle were captured. Abundance and species richness were influenced by month and transect, with weak evidence for differences between dung types influencing overall abundance: Onthophagus binodis (49.7%), Aphodius fimetarius (24.4%) and Labarrus lividus (17.1%) were the most abundant species. Dung removal (organic matter) was influenced by month and dung type, with more dung buried in improved native (23.9 g) and rye/clover (24.7 g) derived dung compared with forage oat (12.3 g) dung. Dung beetle abundance was positively correlated with removal of all dung types, with O. binodis biomass significantly influencing dung removal. This study showed that diet of bovine animals weakly influences the abundance of a local dung beetle assemblage, warranting further investigation on the influence of other dung types in different regions. Improvements to reporting of pasture species and growth stage is recommended for comparisons between dung derived sources.

Defying the flat-Earth myth: Soil organic carbon monitoring in topographically complex temperate pasture landscapes

Soil sampling design to capture the spatiotemporal variability of soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks in complex landscapes is challenged by the influence of topographical features on primary production, animal behaviour, and carbon and nutrient return to grasslands. Here we explore a range of approaches for streamlining the sampling process using measures of SOC stock data (2003, 2020, 2021) from a long-term hill-country fertilizer experiment. The stepwise procedure included a) evaluation of sampling efficiency between stratified and random soil sampling designs to capture spatial variability of SOC stocks, b) semi-parametric regression analysis to evaluate the representativeness of certain strata (e.g. medium slopes), c) exploring the appropriateness of using shallow SOC stock estimates to represent the full sampling depth, and d) the use of a process-based model to determine expected SOC stock changes and temporal variability to estimate the number of representative soil samples required to achieve a significant minimum change. Our analyses suggest that a) the stratified sampling design was more efficient reflected in the number of samples required to identify 5 % deviation in SOC stocks, b) estimates obtained on the medium slope were a reasonable approximation of the SOC stocks and its spatial variation across the farmlets, c) shallow (0–75 mm) SOC stock estimates from an adjusted regression model offered an accurate inference of its vertical distribution (0–300 mm), and d) the Grass-NEXT model provided insights on where more intensive sampling is required to detect a significant minimum change in SOC stocks over time. Tailored, stratified soil sampling and context-specific strategies, such as using representative strata and shallow sampling as effective steps for estimating SOC stocks and addressing data gaps, are crucial for simplifying monitoring and minimizing the cost of on-farm soil sampling designs in topographically complex landscapes covered by long-term pastures.

Influence of soil organic matter, fertiliser formulation and season on fertiliser nitrogen use efficiency in temperate pastures

Intensively grazed dairy systems use high inputs of fertiliser nitrogen (N), and often supplementary irrigation, to ensure adequate pasture production to support milk output and meet the growing food demand. However, the efficiency of N use in these systems can be low and potential environmental impacts high. This study aimed to test the hypothesis that (1) use of two inhibitors, the urease inhibitor N-(n-butyl) thiophosphorictriamide (NBTPT) and the nitrification inhibitor 3,4-Dimethylpyrazole phosphate (DMPP) reduced N loss and improved pasture production compared to conventional N fertiliser (urea) in irrigated temperate perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) dairy pasture, and (2) their efficiency was affected by soil and environmental parameters. The effect of repeated applications of urea, at different rates, and the inhibitors were studied on pasture production and agronomic apparent fertiliser N use efficiency (NUE) over 2.5 years. The fate of a single application of N was determined through recovery of 15N-labeled fertiliser applied at 20 and 40 kg N ha−1 was studied in the field for one year. The highest yield and NUE occurred in spring–summer (from August to February) reflecting optimal growing conditions. The highest NUE occurred at low rates of urea application (20 and 40 kg N ha−1). Mineralisation played a key role in supplying N to pasture with 64–82% of total plant N derived from soil organic matter (SOM). Less than 50% of the applied N was recovered in the pasture (37–43%) with a large component retained in the soil (26–43% after one year, 0–40 cm), and slowly released in small amounts (< 2%) to the pasture over time, highlighting the abundant capacity of the native soil N pool to supply pasture N. Loss of N fertiliser (14–31%) was attributed to primarily ammonia (NH3) volatilisation and nitrate (NO3−) leaching. Use of the inhibitors NBTPT and DMPP did not significantly affect pasture yield or NUE, most likely because fertiliser N saved with the inhibitors only played a minor role in plant nutrition with the majority of the plant nutrition provided by the soil organic matter pool.

Energy supplementation of beef steers or inclusion of legumes in temperate pastures in crop-livestock integration area

The most common way of using the crop-livestock integration system in subtropical regions is cultivating soybeans or corn during the summer and temperate pastures in the winter. The objective of this study was to evaluate different beef cattle finishing systems in an area of crop-livestock integration. The inclusion of legumes and supplementation on black oat (Avena strigosa Schreb) and ryegrass pastures (Lolium multiflorum L.) were evaluated. Data from three years of research (2017, 2018 and 2020) were evaluated. Thus, 54 steers (18 per year) were used, with initial age of 22 ± 3 months and 413.08 ± 4.56 kg of initial live weight. They were randomly divided into nine paddocks of 0.7 hectares. The experimental design was randomized blocks with three replicates (paddock with two animals). Supplementation provided greater carrying capacity (1406.0 vs. 1269.6 kg/ha), average daily weight gain (1.4 vs. 1.1 kg/day), and, consequently, greater gain per area (384.5 vs. 302 kg BW/ha). Animals that received energy supplementation presented higher slaughter weight (536 vs. 510 kg), weight (287.1 and 286.2 vs. 266.2 and 265.3 kg), and hot (53.6 vs. 52.1%) and cold (53.4 vs. 52%) carcass yield, as well as higher fat content in the carcass (265 vs. 234 g/kg). The legume in the pasture did not affect the performance or characteristics of the animal carcasses. The supplementation increased the performance and carcass parameters, but did not influence the qualitative characteristics of the meat. In addition to individual performance, supplementation increased the pasture's carrying capacity, improving the system's productivity.

Morphology of flower bud differentiation and floral organ specialization in Caucasian clover

AbstractFlower bud differentiation is the commencement of plant reproductive development. Flower organ specialization follows flower bud differentiation. This biological mechanism controls whether plants reproduce successfully via seed. Caucasian clover (Trifolium ambiguum) is used in mixed temperate pastures. However, its low natural seed setting rate contributes to a low seed yield. This study aimed to elucidate how the reproductive biology of Caucasian clover could affect seed production. Caucasian clover flower bud differentiation and flower organ development were systematically examined. Flower bud differentiation has six consecutive stages: pre‐differentiation, differentiation of the inflorescence, the floret, the perianth, the stamen, and finally the pistil primordium. The anther has two chambers. Pollen grains have six development phases: the tetraspore, early‐uninucleate, late‐uninucleate, vegetative cell and germ‐cell form, binucleate, and maturation phase. The microspore tetrad is tetrahedral, and the mature pollen grains are bicellular. Pollen grain viability was found 35%. The Caucasian clover monocarpelate ovary contains 1–2 ovules that are covered with a 2‐layer integument. The ovule is anatropous. The embryo sac development type is a polygonum. The floral formula is “⚥↑K(5) C1+1+2 A(9)+1 G(1:1:1−2)”. These genetic traits of two pollen sacs and low viability pollen grains may be responsible for the low natural seed setting. Poor seed setting may also be due to embryo sac dysplasia that leads to ovule sterility. Therefore, the breeding aim should be to improve pollen viability, to decrease embryo sac dysplasia and to reduce embryo abortion that could be targeted for genetic improvement to enhance seed yields.

Circularity and livestock diversity: Pathways to sustainability in intensive pig farming regions

CONTEXTIntensive pig farming is challenged by high environmental impacts and dependence on outsourced inputs. Circular feeding strategies to improve nutrient cycling and livestock diversity have emerged as pathways to improve the sustainability. OBJECTIVEThis study explored the potential of increasing feed circularity and introducing sheep to improve the sustainability of a typical pig fattening region in the semiarid zone of Spain. METHODSThree alternative circular scenarios were designed to relocate pig feed production while reintroducing sheep production. These scenarios were then compared to a business-as-usual (BAU) scenario. The feeding strategies scenarios differed in crude protein (CP) and in-feed amino acid (AA) supplementation for pigs (CircHigh, high CP with low AA; CircLow, low CP with high AA; CircNoAA, low CP without AA) and included grazing sheep to use crop residues, alfalfa and temporary vetch-oat pastures on fallow land. Yearly feed requirements for pigs were planned, and were met with cereal grains, oilseeds, legumes, rice bran and chopped alfalfa hay. Sheep carrying capacity was estimated from available forage sources. Indicators in five sustainability dimensions were considered: economic performance, landscape mosaic, livestock diversity, nitrogen (N) cycling, and feed-food competition. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONSOutsourced (BAU) pig feeding without sheep had low scores for indicators in all five dimensions. The feeding strategy for pigs strongly influenced the land area required to produce feed as well as N cycling. Only the CircLow scenario could feed the current pig stocks in the region with the arable land available. The CircHigh strategy combined with grazing sheep scored highest for most of the dimensions, except for feed-food competition indicators. The CircLow strategy had good scores for most of the dimensions, except for N cycling indicators, whose scores decreased due to the lower N content of slurry. The CircNoAA strategy increased the use of rice bran as a food coproduct and decreased N surplus, but also impaired the economic performance (land productivity and feeding costs). Although the CircLow strategy required less land area to grow legumes, it resulted in a slightly higher crop diversity and a higher sheep carrying capacity when sowing temporary pastures. SIGNIFICANCEN cycling and overall sustainability of regions with intensive livestock production was improved through feed circularity, that included reducing CP with high in-feed AA, and livestock diversity, by reintroducing sheep as complementary livestock that can graze crop residues and temporary pastures. These results may help to inform future rural policies to help upscale more sustainable practices in intensive pig farming regions.

Influence of two agroforestry systems on the nitrification potential in temperate pastures in Brittany, France

Background and aimsAgroforestry, whereby trees are associated with crops and/or livestock, is expected to mitigate nitrogen (N) losses from agriculture. However, little is known about how nitrification potential, an important process that drives N losses, is affected by agroforestry systems. This study aimed to investigate the effect of different silvopastoral agroforestry systems on soil nitrification potential.MethodsNitrification potential was evaluated in two agroforestry systems (hedgerow and alley cropping) associated with temporary grasslands in Brittany, France. In each system, soil was sampled along a transect spanning from the center of the tree row into the grass alley. Soil nitrification potential was determined ex situ and was explained by univariate and multivariate analysis of variables describing vegetation, physicochemical soil properties, and soil organisms.ResultsNitrification potential differed between the two agroforestry systems and among the positions in relation to the trees. In the alley cropping system, nitrification potential was on average 1.5 times higher in the tree row than at 1.5 and 10 m into the grass alley, while in the hedgerow system, nitrification potential at 1.5 m into the grass alley was on average 40% lower than at 10 m into the grass alley. Nitrification potential was strongly correlated with soil pH, whereas no correlation was observed between nitrification potential and community size of soil nitrifiers.ConclusionOur results point out the diverse effects of agroforestry systems on nitrification, a key soil process that is involved in the regulation of N losses.

Temperate pasture- or concentrate-beef production systems: steer performance, meat nutritional value, land-use, food–feed competition, economic and environmental sustainability

AbstractThe objective was to evaluate steer performance, meat nutritional value, land-use, food–feed competition and both economic and environmental sustainability within temperate pasture-based suckler weanling-to-beef systems with or without (forage-only) concentrates. Post-weaning, 8-month-old, late-maturing breed steers (333 kg) were assigned to one of three systems: (1) grass silage + 1.2 kg concentrate DM (148 days), followed by pasture (123 days) and finished on ad libitum concentrates (120 days) – slaughter age, 21 months (GRAIN); (2) as per (1) but pasture (196 days) and finished on grass silage ad libitum + 3.5 kg concentrate DM (124 days) – slaughter age, 24 months (SIL + GRAIN); and (3) grass silage-only (148 days), pasture (196 days), silage-only (140 days) and finished on pasture (97 days) – slaughter age, 28 months (FORAGE). The mean target carcass weight was 390 kg for each system. Data generated were used to parameterize a farm-level beef systems model. Concentrate DM intake was 1187, 606 and 0 kg/head for GRAIN, SIL + GRAIN and FORAGE, respectively. The forage-only (FORAGE) system offers several advantages, including improved farm profitability, enhanced meat fatty acid profile and only utilized inedible human feed. Consequently, associated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions per net human edible food produced were more favourable for FORAGE. However, compared to GRAIN, the FORAGE system had an older age at slaughter and associated increased pasture land-use and GHG emissions per animal, meat weight gain and essential amino acids gain. There are therefore inevitable trade-offs, as one beef system does not improve all sustainability and GHG emission metrics.

Drinking water intake, milk production, and grazing behaviour of alpine dairy goats in response to daytime water restriction on temperate pastures

Certain local breeds of goats have adapted to severe water restriction in arid and semi-arid regions, but little is known about the adaptability of high-producing dairy goats to water restriction while grazing under temperate conditions. The aim of this study was to assess effects of water restriction of lactating Alpine goats during the daytime at pasture (8 h/d) on herd-level drinking water intake and individual milk production and grazing time. Goats remained in the barn between evening and morning milkings, where each animal was offered 600 g of concentrate and 400 g of hay each day, with free access to water. Twenty four goats were used in a crossover design, for two consecutive 14-d periods. The study was conducted in early summer, with a daily mean ambient temperature of 18.2 ± 3.5 °C (range of 13–27 °C over all the study days), a mean temperature-humidity index of 64 ± 4.9 (range of 56–76). Goats had access to a high-quality multispecies pasture with a mean of 216 ± 44 g DM/kg fresh matter. Total drinking water intake averaged 5.57 L/d and did not differ significantly between treatments. Goats with water access at pasture drank a mean of 1.88 L of water per day during the grazing period, but drank 2.24 L less per day in the barn than goats without water access at pasture. Drinking water intake increased by 0.57 L per day for each °C increase in daily mean ambient temperature. Daily milk production, milk composition, body weight, and daily grazing time did not differ between treatments. Only the duration of the first morning meal at pasture differed significantly between treatments. Thus, water restriction for 8 h per day during grazing periods does not seem to influence the variables measured for Alpine dairy goats under temperate conditions.

Seedling emergence of tropical perennial pasture species in response to temperature used to determine sowing time recommendations

Tropical pasture grasses and legumes can be highly productive and persistent and fill the summer-autumn feed gap typical of temperate pasture systems in southern Australia. However, more information is needed on optimum temperature range for seedling emergence because this will influence sowing time recommendations. A replicated field experiment was conducted at 5 locations in New South Wales over a 12-month period to determine the optimum temperature for emergence of a range of tropical species: Rhodes grass (Chloris gayana Kunth), Makarikari grass (Panicum coloratum L. var. makarikariense Gooss.), kikuyu grass (Cenchrus clandestinus (Hochst. ex Chiov.) Morrone), digit grass (Digitaria eriantha Steud.), panic grass (Megathyrsus maximus (Jacq.) B.K. Simon &amp; S.W.L. Jacobs), paspalum (Paspalum dilatatum Poir.), Urochloa hybrid (Urochloa decumbens × U. ruziziensis × U. brizantha), 2 cultivars of Desmanthus virgatus (L.) Willd. (cultivars ‘Marc’ and ‘JCU2’), D. bicornutus (S. Watson), D. leptophyllus (Kunth) and D. pernambucanus (L.) Thell.). Rhodes grass emerged satisfactorily over the longest time across all sites, exhibiting the greatest temperature range over which emergence occurred, while Makarikari grass and panic grass had the narrowest temperature range for emergence. The temperature for 50% emergence differed between the tropical species and whether the soils were warming or cooling. Rhodes grass had the lowest 50% emergence temperature (17 °C) while paspalum had the highest (22 °C). Results showed that temperature for 50% emergence is a useful indicator for determining sowing time in warming soils.

Evaluation of seed-dispersal services by ants at a temperate pasture: Results of direct observations in an ant suppression experiment.

Ants disperse seeds of many plant species adapted to myrmecochory. While advantages of this ant-plant mutualism for myrmecochorous plants (myrmecochores) have been previously studied in temperate region mostly in forests, our study system was a pasture. Moreover, we used a unique combination of observing the effect of ant-activity suppression on ant dispersal and comparison of the contribution of ant and unassisted dispersal to the distance from mother plant. We established plots without and with ant-activity suppression (enclosures). We offered diaspores of a myrmecochorous (Knautia arvensis), and a non-myrmecochorous (Plantago lanceolata) species in a choice test and followed ants carrying diaspores during days and nights (focus of previous studies was on diurnal dispersal). We measured frequency and distances of ant dispersal and compared them with unassisted dispersal recorded using sticky trap method. The dispersal frequency was lower in enclosures (3.16 times). Ants strongly preferred diaspores of the myrmecochore to non-myrmecochore with 586 and 42 dispersal events, respectively (out of 6400 diaspores of each species offered). Ant dispersal resulted in more even and on average longer distances (maximum almost tenfold longer, 994 cm) in comparison to unassisted dispersal. Ant dispersal altered the distribution of distances of the myrmecochore from roughly symmetric for unassisted dispersal to positively skewed. Ants dispersed heavier diaspores farther. Ants dropped the majority of diaspores during the dispersal (which reduces clustering of seeds), while several (11%) were carried into anthills. Anthills are disturbed microsites presumably favorable for germination in competitive habitats. Ants provided non-negligible dispersal services to myrmecochorous K. arvensis but also, to a lesser extent, of non-myrmecochorous P. lanceolata.

Partial replacement of a total mixed ration with annual ryegrass herbage: effects on dairy cow dry matter intake and milk production

ABSTRACT Studies with dairy cows receiving mixed ration and grazing annual pastures, which have low tiller density, are scarce. This study examined the effect of partial replacement of a total mixed ration (TMR) with annual temperate pasture. Treatments were ad libitum TMR (TMR100), 75% ad libitum TMR + ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum ‘Maximus’) (pTMR75), and 50% ad libitum TMR + ryegrass (pTMR50). Twelve multiparous Holstein and F1 Jersey × Holstein cows were divided into six groups (experimental units), taking account of milk production (26.6 ± 4.55 kg/day), days-in-milk (129 ± 50.8) and body weight (546 ± 30.6 kg). Treatments were compared using two 3 × 3 Latin square arangements, comprising three 21-day periods (measurements during final 5 days). Herbage DM intake increased from 4.8 kg/day with pTMR75 to 6.7 kg/day with pTMR50. Total DM intake decreased from 19.4 kg/day (TMR100), to 18.1 and 15.8 kg/day (pTMR75 and pTMR50, respectively). Milk production, energy corrected milk production (ECM), and milk fat content were similar between treatments, averaging 25.6, 28.4 kg/day and 44.6 g/kg, respectively. Ryegrass pastures were able to replace up to 50% of TMR offered to mid lactation dairy cows with no adverse effects on ECM production.

Pasture brome and perennial ryegrass characteristics that influence ewe lamb dietary preference during different seasons and periods of the day.

Under the current scenario for climate change, Bromus valdivianus Phil. (Bv), a drought-resistant species, is an option to complement Lolium perenne L. (Lp) in temperate pastures. However, little is known about animal preference for Bv. A randomised complete block design was used to study ewe lamb's preference between Lp and Bv during morning and afternoon grazing sessions in winter, spring, and summer by assessing the animal behaviour and pasture morphological and chemical attributes. Ewe lambs showed a higher preference for Lp in the afternoon in winter (P<0.05) and summer (P<0.01), while no differences were found in spring (P>0.05). In winter, Bv, relative to Lp, had both greater ADF and NDF (P<0.001), and lower pasture height (P<0.01) which negatively affected its preference. The lack of differences in spring were due to an increase in ADF concentration in Lp. In summer, ewe lambs showed the typical daily preference pattern, selecting Lp in the morning to ensure a greater quality and showing no preference during the afternoon to fill the rumen with higher fibre content. In addition, greater sheath weight per tiller in Bv could make it less desirable, as the decrease in bite rate in the species was likely due to a higher shear strength and lower pasture sward mass per bite which increased foraging time. These results provided evidence on how Bv characteristics influence ewe lamb's preference; but more research is needed on how this will affect preference for Lp and Bv in a mixed pasture.

Legume re-establishment in northern temperate grasslands following application of aminocyclopyrachlor and aminopyralid

Herbicides with residual properties are often used for broadleaf weed control in pastures but can remove desirable legumes such as alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) and white clover (Trifolium repens L.). Field trials at five sites within central Alberta, Canada were used to assess legume population dynamics during recovery after spraying. Medicago sativa and T. repens populations were monitored for three years following application of aminopyralid (AMP) at 120 g a.i. ha−1, or aminocyclopyrachlor (AMCP) at 60 g a.i. ha−1, in combination with repeated mowing and legume over-seeding. Bioassays were performed twice a year (spring and fall) using M. sativa and T. repens seeded into soil sourced from each plot up until 26 months-after-spraying (MAS) and grown in a greenhouse. Medicago sativa and T. repens densities in the field remained below non-sprayed control levels throughout the study (26 MAS). In contrast, bioassay results indicated a shorter time than the field trial for legume recovery, with recovery occurring in soil from treated grassland as soon as 14 MAS. There were no differences between AMCP and AMP in the time required to facilitate legume establishment. Critically, legume establishment in the field depended on intermittent mowing, particularly for T. repens, which failed to persist in the absence of mowing at 22 MAS regardless of herbicide application. Medicago sativa had a high potential to establish from the natural seed bank, while T. repens depended on over-seeding. These findings indicate it may be possible to reintroduce legumes to temperate pastures as early as the second growing season after herbicide application, though field trials indicate legume population recovery will depend on seeding and secondary disturbances to reduce competition.

Maintaining scattered trees to boost carbon stock in temperate pastures does not compromise overall pasture quality for the livestock

Scattered trees in wood-pastures represent outstanding conservation value by providing microhabitats for a variety of organisms. They also diversify ecosystem services by creating shade for livestock, and capturing and storing carbon. However, trees in wood-pastures are declining Europe-wide and an appropriate legal environment to maintain them is mostly lacking. Here we looked beyond the well-documented beneficial effects of trees and assessed potential ecosystem disservices, which may drive the controversial appreciation of trees. In a grazing exclusion experiment, we assessed the effect of trees on herbage production in wood-pastures from semi-arid continental to humid montane areas in the temperate deciduous forest ecoregion, and found that trees have a suppressive effect throughout the year, although herbage nutritive value, as indicated by herbage nitrogen content, seems to be improved in spring. When we up-scaled the local ecosystem disservice on herbage yield to entire wood-pastures, the loss remained below 3%, which is lower than reported gains in livestock production due to free access to shade. Thus, the motivation for the under-appreciation of trees by land managers and decision makers may lie in that trees suppress herbage production, but the importance of this effects is offset by the magnitude of the beneficial services of trees. We recommend current wood-pasture stakeholders to revisit their attitude towards scattered trees and encourage tree planting campaigns and tree-based climate mitigation strategies to consider the protection of trees in wood-pastures and the establishment of young ones in currently open pastures up to traditionally low tree cover proportions, as livestock production is unlikely to be compromised by this action.

Intensification differentially affects the delivery of multiple ecosystem services in subtropical and temperate grasslands

Intensification, the process of intensifying land management to enhance agricultural goods, results in “intensive” pastures that are planted with productive grasses and fertilized. These intensive pastures provide essential ecosystem services, including forage production for livestock. Understanding the synergies and tradeoffs of pasture intensification on the delivery of services across climatic regions is crucial to shape policies and incentives for better management of natural resources. Here, we investigated how grassland intensification affects key components of provisioning (forage productivity and quality), supporting (plant diversity) and regulating services (CO2 and CH4 fluxes) by comparing these services between intensive versus extensive pastures in subtropical and temperate pastures in the USDA Long-term Agroecosystem Research (LTAR) Network sites in Florida and Oklahoma, USA over multiple years. Our results suggest that grassland intensification led to a decrease in measured supporting and regulating services, but increased forage productivity in temperate pastures and forage digestibility in subtropical pastures. Intensification decreased the net CO2 sink of subtropical pastures while it did not affect the sink capacity of temperate pastures; and it also increased environmental CH4 emissions from subtropical pastures and reduced CH4 uptake in temperate pastures. Intensification enhanced the global warming potential associated with C fluxes of pastures in both ecoregions. Our study demonstrates that comparisons of agroecosystems in contrasting ecoregions can reveal important drivers of ecosystem services and general or region-specific opportunities and solutions to maintaining agricultural production and reducing environmental footprints. Further LTAR network-scale comparisons of multiple ecosystem services across croplands and grazinglands intensively vs extensively managed are warranted to inform the sustainable intensification of agriculture within US and beyond. Our results highlight that achieving both food security and environmental stewardship will involve the conservation of less intensively managed pastures while adopting sustainable strategies in intensively managed pastures.

Response of soil health indicators to dung, urine and mineral fertilizer application in temperate pastures

Healthy soils are key to sustainability and food security. In temperate grasslands, not many studies have focused on soil health comparisons between contrasting pasture systems under different management strategies and treatment applications (e.g. manures and inorganic fertilisers). The aim of this study was to assess the responses of soil health indicators to dung, urine and inorganic N fertiliser in three temperate swards: permanent pasture not ploughed for at least 20 years (PP), high sugar ryegrass with white clover targeted at 30% coverage reseeded in 2013 (WC), and high sugar ryegrass reseeded in 2014 (HG). This study was conducted on the North Wyke Farm Platform (UK) from April 2017 to October 2017. Soil health indicators including soil organic carbon (SOC, measured by loss of ignition and elemental analyser), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), total nitrogen (TN), C:N ratio, soil C and N bulk isotopes, pH, bulk density (BD), aggregate stability, ergosterol concentration (as a proxy for fungi biomass), and earthworms (abundance, mass and density) were measured and analysed before and after application of dung and N fertilizer, urine and N fertiliser, and only N fertiliser. The highest SOC, TN, DOC, ergosterol concentration and earthworms as well as the lowest BD were found in PP, likely due to the lack of ploughing. Differences among treatments were observed due to the application of dung, resulting in an improvement in chemical indicators of soil health after 50 days of its application. Ergosterol concentration was significantly higher before treatment applications than at the end of the experiment. No changes were detected in BD and aggregate stability after treatment applications. We conclude that not enough time had passed for the soil to recover after the ploughing and reseeding of the permanent pasture, independently of the sward composition (HG or WC). Our results highlight the strong influence of the soil management legacy in temperate pasture and the positive effects of dung application on soil health over the short term. In addition, we point out the relevance of using standardised methods to report soil health indicators and some methodological limitations.

Flowering responses of serradella (Ornithopus spp.) and subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum L.) to vernalisation and photoperiod and their role in maturity type determination and flowering date stability

Context Serradellas (Ornithopus spp.) are promising alternative annual legumes to subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum L.), for permanent, temperate pastures. However, many cultivars exhibit unstable flowering dates across years. This is a risk for seed production and persistence. Aim This study assessed how vernalisation and photoperiod cues determine maturity type and flowering date stability among serradella cultivars. Methods First flower appearance was recorded for early and late maturing cultivars of yellow serradella (Ornithopus compressus L.), French serradella (Ornithopus sativus Brot.) and subterranean clover after exposure to six vernalisation treatments (0, 1, 3, 5, 7 or 9 weeks at 5°C) with subsequent growth under four photoperiods (8, 12, 16 or 20 h). Key results ‘Intrinsic earliness’ differed by only zero to three nodes for cultivars within species, indicating that maturity type was determined primarily by a cultivar’s responses to vernalisation and photoperiod. An interaction between these responses was observed, with a precipitous decline in the requirement for vernalisation when photoperiods exceeded 12 h. Many cultivars also displayed a persistent component to their vernalisation response, whereby long photoperiods (20 h) did not completely negate the response to vernalisation. Conclusions Later maturity was associated particularly with need for long exposure to the vernalisation treatment to minimise the duration from sowing to first flower appearance. Stable flowering is more likely when a cultivar has components of its vernalisation requirement that are not satisfied before autumn ends to prevent premature flowering, and a photoperiod response in spring that overrides any unmet vernalisation requirement. Implications Persistence by serradella cultivars requires selection for suitable responsiveness to vernalisation and photoperiod.

Survival analysis of germination data in response to temperature for Ornithopus species and other temperate pasture legumes.

Cool temperatures can limit productivity of temperate grazing systems as poor pasture growth rates in winter create feed shortages for livestock. Ornithopus spp. (serradella) are broadly adapted annual pasture legumes that produce high-quality forage in soil types considered marginal for other temperate legume species. However, serradella establishment is perceived to be difficult in cool-season environments. We used survival analysis to compare germination rate and seedling emergence for two serradella species (yellow serradella and French serradella) against three reference species (Medicago sativa, M. polymorpha and Trifolium subterraneum ) in four temperature treatments (10/5, 15/10, 20/15 and 25/20°C; max/min). We also compared shoot relative growth rate and photosynthetic rate at 15/10°C (cool) and 23/18°C (warm). Cool temperatures (10/5, 15/10°C) did not slow germination rates for serradella relative to the reference species, but warm temperatures (20/15, 25/20°C) delayed emergence and reduced post-emergent shoot growth rates. Once established, Ornithopus spp. had similar mean photosynthetic rates and stomatal conductance at cool temperatures to the reference species. We conclude that, contrary to common perception, cool temperatures did not adversely influence germination, emergence, or early growth of Ornithopus spp. relative to the reference species.