Acta Univ. Agric. Silvic. Mendelianae Brun. 2014, 62(5), 1087-1093 | DOI: 10.11118/actaun201462051087

Effect of Cutting Pattern and Fertilization Level on Species Diversity and Evaluation of Grassland Quality

Josef Raus, Pavel Knot, Jiří Skládanka, Michal Kvasnovský, Martin Sochorec, Jhonny Edison Alba Mejía, František Hrabě
Department of Animal Nutrition and Forage Production, Faculty of Agronomy, Mendel University in Brno, Zemědělská 1, 613 00 Brno, Czech Republic

The effects of fertilization level and cutting pattern on the species diversity and quality of a meadow stand were assessed in 2004-2012 in the small plot trial established in 2003 in Vatín, Vysočina Region, Czech Republic. Four levels of fertilization (none; N0 + P30 + K60 kg∙ha-1; N90 + P30 + K60 kg∙ha-1; N180 + P30 + K60 kg∙ha-1) were combined with four treatments of exploitation intensity (4 cuts per year, first cut on 15th May, every next after 45 days; 3 cuts per year, first cut on 30th May, every next after 60 days; 2 cuts per year, first cut on 15th June, next after 90 days; 2 cuts per year, first cut on 30th June, next after 90 days). Numbers of species, Simpson's diversity index and evaluation of grassland quality according to Novák (2004) were evaluated. Numbers of species and Simpson's diversity index were significantly affected by both fertilization level and cutting pattern. Species richness decreased along with increasing fertilization rates from 29.4 (no fertilization) to 27.8 (N180PK). When comparing cutting pattern treatments the highest species richness was found in four-cut swards (29.6 in average of fertilization levels) and it declines towards late double-cut regime (27.2). The Simpson's index generally increased from two-cut swards to four-cut and from fertilized treatments to control. Grassland quality was significantly affected by cutting pattern. Values increased from four-cut swards (38.1) to two-cut ones (43.8 and 44.0 in early and late harvest respectively).

Keywords: permanent meadow, Simpson's index, grassland nutrition, cutting frequency, species richness
Grants and funding:

The paper was prepared under the support from Grant No. QJ1310100 "Development and optimization methods for the determination of biogenic amines in response to increasing health security of silage" funded by the National Agency for Agricultural Research.

Published: December 2, 2014  Show citation

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Raus, J., Knot, P., Skládanka, J., Kvasnovský, M., Sochorec, M., Alba Mejía, J.E., & Hrabě, F. (2014). Effect of Cutting Pattern and Fertilization Level on Species Diversity and Evaluation of Grassland Quality. Acta Universitatis Agriculturae et Silviculturae Mendelianae Brunensis, 62(5), 1087-1093. doi: 10.11118/actaun201462051087
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