Effects of cutting or grazing grass swards on herbage yield, nitrogen uptake and residual soil nitrate at different levels of N fertilization
2003
Nevens, F. | Rehuel, D.
On a Flemish sandy loam soil, cut and grazed swards were compared at different levels of mineral nitrogen (N) fertilization. Economically optimal N fertilization rates were 400 (or more) and 200 kg N ha-1 yr-1 on cut and grazed swards respectively. Considering the amounts of residual soil nitrate-N in autumn, these N rates also met the current Flemish legal provisions, i.e. no more than 90 kg ha-1 nitrate-N present in the 0-90 cm soil layer, measured between 1 October and 15 November. The N use efficiency was considerably higher in cut grassland systems than in grazed systems, even when the animal component of a cut and conservation system was included. The results indicate that, for cut grasslands, two N application rates should be considered: intensively managed grasslands with high amounts of N (400 kg ha-1 yr-1 or more) or extensively managed grasslands with white clover and no more than 100 kg N ha-1 yr-1.
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