NPK fertilisation of natural grassland for the development of a sustainable management system

Abstract

In this study, the effect of NPK fertilization with different nitrogen rates on the dry matter yield and botanical composition of a Festucetum pratense natural grassland was analysed in a 10-year field trial. The experiment was conducted in the period 2011–2020 in central Serbia, 1000 m above sea level. The fertiliser treatments included: control without fertilisers, N60:P40:K40, N100:P40:K40, and N140:P40:K40 kg/ha per year. The mineral fertilisation treatments had a significant effect on the dry matter yield and botanical composition of the grassland, especially in the first cut, resulting in a lower total number of plant species in the grassland. The effect of fertilization on dry matter yield and botanical composition was largely dependent on weather conditions. In the last years of the trial, the dry matter yield gradually decreased under the fertiliser treatments, which is a consequence of the decrease in diversity. Satisfactory results on this grassland can be achieved with low nitrogen fertiliser applications combined with the maintenance of plant diversity as a basis for sustainable grassland management in temperate latitudes.

Keywords

• botanical composition
• dry matter yield
• fertilisation
• natural grassland