Description
While grasslands face a number of challenges, such as encroachment from intensive farming and the impact of climate change, there is a growing recognition of the key role they can play in supporting the transition to more resilient, sustainable and circular agricultural systems.
Advances in temperate grassland science and management reviews the wealth of research addressing these challenges and opportunities, focussing on the role of grasslands in agricultural systems and, in particular, in improving livestock health and product quality. It summarises recent research on grassland composition and management in optimising the contribution it can make, including regional case studies on grassland management in practice.
This book builds on a successful earlier volume by Burleigh Dodds Science: Improving grassland and pasture management in temperate agriculture (2018).
Table of contents
Part 1 The role of grasslands in agricultural systems
- 1.The societal role of grasslands in agriculture: Nick van Eekeren, Louis Bolk Institute, The Netherlands;
- 2.Assessing the impact of climate change on grasslands: Martin Lukac, University of Reading, UK;
- 3.The role of grasslands in mixed farming/crop-livestock systems: Friedhelm Taube, Christian Albrechts University Of Kiel, Germany;
Part 2 Grassland dynamics and management
- 4.Advances in understanding plant-soil-animal interactions in grasslands: Lynn Sollenberger, University of Florida, USA;
- 5.Advances in grazing management: Michael O'Donovan, Teagasc, Ireland;
- 6.The use of precision technologies in grassland management: Laurence Shalloo, Teagasc, Ireland;
- 7.The long path from data collection to sustainable grassland management: Nina Buchmann, ETH Zurich, Switzerland;
- 8.From data collection to decision support for sustainable pasture management: Magali Jouven, L’Institute Agro Montpellier, France;
- 9.Advances in managing grassland weeds: Maria-Teresa Sebastia, CTFC/University of Lleida, Spain;
Part 3 Grasslands, grazing and animal nutrition: Effects on health and product quality
- 10.Contribution of forages for high nutrient use efficiency in ruminant feeding: Martin Gierus, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Austria;
- 11.The effects of pasture grazing on milk quality: Anjo Elgersma, Ghent University, Belgium;
- 12.Grasslands and One Health: Frédéric Leroy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium;
Part 4 Development in botanical composition of grasslands
- 13.Improving biodiversity in grassland systems: Irina Herzon, University of Helsinki, Finland; James M. Bullock, UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, The UK; Jean-Yves Humbert and Raphaël Arlettaz, University of Bern, Switzerland; Péter Török, University of Debrecen, Hungary; and Karin Stein-Bachinger, Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research, Germany;
- 14.Designing and developing multi-species swards/herbal leys: Thomas Moloney, DLF, Ireland;
- 15.The role of plantain (Plantago lanceolata) in reducing nitrogen loss from grazed mixed-species pastures: Ina Pinxterhuis, Dairy NZ, New Zealand;
- 16.Advances in plant secondary metabolites and endophytes in grasslands: David E. Hume, AgResearch - Grasslands Research Centre, New Zealand;
Part 6 Case studies
- 17.Grasslands in Europe: challenges and solutions: Agnes van den Pol-van Dasselaar;
- 18.Challenges facing alpine/mountain grasslands: Giovanni Peratoner, Laimburg Institute, Italy;
- 19.Grasslands in South America: challenges and solutions: Paulo César de Faccio Carvalho, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil;
- 20.Grasslands in New Zealand: challenges and solutions: David Stevens, AgResearch, New Zealand;
- 21.Conclusion: Agnes van den Pol-van Dasselaar;