Grasslands farming

Haas, G., Wetterich, E., and Kopje, U. (2001). Comparing intensive, extensified and organic grassland farming in southern Germany by life cycle assessment. Agric. Ecosyst. Environ. 83, 43-53. 

Hopkins, A. and Hrabe, F. 2001. Organic grassland farming and nature conservation. In ... 

Isselstein, J., Spatz, G. and Hofmann, M. (eds) Organic Grassland Farming. European... 

Carbon. Most of the Earth s supply of carbon is stored in carbonate rocks in the Hthosphere. Normally the circulation rate for Hthospheric carbon is slow compared with that of carbon between the atmosphere and biosphere. The carbon cycle has received much attention in recent years as a result of research into the possible relation between increased atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration, most of which is produced by combustion of fossil fuel, and the "greenhouse effect," or global warming. Extensive research has been done on the rate at which carbon dioxide might be converted to cellulose and other photosyntheticaHy produced organic compounds by various forms of natural and cultivated plants. Estimates also have been made of the rate at which carbon dioxide is released to soil under optimum conditions by various kinds of plant cover, such as temperature-zone deciduous forests, cultivated farm crops, prairie grassland, and desert vegetation. 

Frame, J. (1992) Improved Grassland Management. Farming Press, Ipswich. 

Peel, S.J., Matkin, E.A. Huckle, C.A. (1988) Herbage growth and utilized output from grassland on dairy farms in south-west England Case studies of five farms, 1982 and 1983. Grass and Forage Science, 43, 71-78. 

Walsh (1982) concluded, after studying top grassland dairy farms ... 

Most farmyard manure is produced by overwintering beef animals indoors, and as most beef and sheep farms are situated on permanent pasture in steep or rocky areas, it is the application of farmyard manure to grassland that is most usual, particularly to fields that are cut for silage or hay. 

The dilemma was resolved by making the farm part of the environmentally sensitive area (ESA) scheme and also sowing an extra 280 ha of grassland. As his farm was now part of an ESA, the farmer was paid to reduce his stock numbers so that they then had sufficient organic grassland. This meant that although fewer lambs and beef cattle were sold per ha, the grant from the ESA scheme more than compensated for the reduction in output. 

Baars, T (2002) Reconciling Scientific Approaches for Organic Farming Research. Part I Reflection on Research Methods in Organic Grassland and Animal Production at Louis Bolk Institute, The Netherlands. CIP-Data Koninklike Bibliothek, Den Haag, The Netherland, 3-224. 

Foissner W (1992) Comparative-studies on the soil life in ecofarmed and conventionally farmed fields and grasslands of Austria. Agric Ecosyst Environ 40 207-218... 

Control of NH3 loss during grassland production presents many problems. The most readily manipulated loss is that arising from land application of slurry. Injection effectively eliminates NH3 loss, as discussed above, and is sometimes reflected in increased efficiency of utilisation of the N applied (29). On grass/arable farms, application of slurry prior to ploughing or cultivation also increases N recovery by the following crop. However, the speed with which NH3 loss can occur requires that cultivation takes place almost immediately after application (29). 

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