About

The project deals with the possibilities of enriching desirable herbs in medium-intensity grassland and maintaining them in the stand for as long as possible with 3 - 4 cuts per year. The optimization of the two goals of productivity and species diversity has been little researched to date, as species-rich grassland is generally considered to be low-yielding. However, species-rich stands could have higher utilization elasticities of growth and then represent a good compromise between yield, digestibility, energy and protein yields. In addition to the agronomic objectives, the flowering period and pollen supply for honey bees and wild insects is increased and the landscape (especially of recreational landscapes) is enhanced. In the Greentopping-Starter project, appropriate mixtures ('toppings') were developed, the germination capacity of the herb seeds was tested and a mesocosm experiment and field trials were set up. The four toppings developed contained species of varying rarity and increasing legume content.
The establishment of the sown species is recorded annually and evaluated over the project period of three years. In addition, forage value, biomass and soil analyses are collected to assess agronomic aspects, and species diversity, the development of the entire stand and insect activity in the trial plots are monitored as biological components. The plots are managed with different cutting and fertilizer regimes, which gives an overview of the possible range and flexibility of the mixtures. As a result, a mixture is determined that fulfills all the set objectives, i.e. qualitatively enhances species-poor stands, can be integrated into the operational process and creates networked species-rich stands.

Partner

Werdenfelser Land Farmers' Association

Ammergau Alps Nature Park e.V.

Zugspitzregion GmbH

International Publications

Möhrle K, Teixeira LH, Hartmann S, Kollmann J (2024) Enhancing temperate grassland diversity and functionality: Crafting seed mixtures to align stakeholder interests and to increase establishment success. – Global Ecology and Conservation 50, e02762. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2023.e02762

Möhrle K, Reyes-Aldana HE, Kollmann J, Teixeira LH (2021) Suppression of an Invasive Native Plant Species by Designed Grassland Communities. – Plants 10, 775. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10040775

German Publications

Möhrle K, Hartmann S, Kollmann J (2023) Jetzt schmeckt das Gras. – Bayerisches Landwirtschaftliches Wochenblatt 42, 28–29.