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Experimental Sites

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The farms and experimental platforms are the sites where innovative PG management options and new technologies, such as spectral and electromagnetic sensors, will be tested and evaluated on various criteria, from ease of use, improved delivery of Ecosystem Services to cost-effectiveness and technological availability for sustainable PG management. Thus, we will use the SUPER-G network of pilot/experimental sites to test innovative and integrated management options that are cost-effective, environmentally friendly and easily manageable for farmers and land managers across biogeographic regions.

Czech Republic

Site Biogeographic region Lead organ. Management option(s) / Technologies tested Measurements ES investigated Type of agriculture Livest. type
Forage Research Station, Moravian Uplands Continental / Pannonian MENDU G Grazing management

Fertilisation

Species mixes

Over-seeding methods

 Grass yield and quality

Water balance and flows

 Food Production

Water quality

Flood control

Erosion Control

 Conventional

 Organic

 Dairy

Beef

France

Site Biogeographic region Lead organ. Management option(s) / Technologies tested Measurements ES investigated Type of agriculture Livest. type
La Blanche Maison Atlantic West LBM NPK fertiliser​

Manure and slorry ​

4 systems of using grass: Exclusive pasture; Exclusive cutting​; Mixed pasture/cutting​; Wet area and exclusive pasture

  Plant species diversity​

Grass yield & quality​

SOC stocks

 Food production​

Biodiversity​

Carbon sequestration/storage

 Conventional Dairy

Germany

Site Biogeographic region Lead organ. Management option(s) / Technologies tested Measurements ES investigated Type of agriculture Livest. type
Relliehausen Atlantic / Continental UGOE Low-input suckler cow grazing: 3 stocking rates Grass yield & quality​

 Plant species diversity​

Grazing behavior​

Nutrient cycling (Carbon stocks)​

  Food production​

Biodiversity​

Carbon storage

 Conventional Beef

Sheep

Hungary

Site Biogeographic region Lead organ. Management option(s) / Technologies tested Measurements ES investigated Type of agriculture Livest. type
Peszéradacs, Kiskunság Pannonian MTA OK Grazing

Overseeding

Pollination

 Grass yield

Diversity

Pollination

 Food production

Biodiversity

 Conventional Beef

Northern Ireland

Site Biogeographic region Lead organ. Management option(s) / Technologies tested Measurements ES investigated Type of agriculture Livest. type
Hillsborough Precision Grazing Platform Atlantic West AFBI Experimental (300 ha) estate ​

Lowland pasture with dairy, beef and sheep​

Access to upland farm with suckler cows and sheep.​

Robotic technologies

 Weather​

Grass production & quality

Animal performance (range of precision equipment) 

Environmental monitoring​

Vegetation mapping​

 Food production​

Carbon sequestration/storage GHG Emissions​

Water quality​

Biodiversity (upland)​

 Conventional Dairy

Beef

Sheep

Italy

Site Biogeographic region Lead organ. Management option(s) / Technologies tested Measurements ES investigated Type of agriculture Livest. type
SCI Xerothermic oases Continental UNITO Post fire succession with/out grazing​

Night penning (dung & urine deposition)

  Plant diversity​

Biomass​

 ​Biodiversity grassland quality (PV) recreation & landscape​

Rare species monitoring​

 Conventional Sheep
Almese Continental UNITO No grazing (control)​

Ordinary management (grazing)​

Improved management (grazing + water/salt)

​

 Vegetation composition and diversity​

Functional traits​

Animal (cow) spatial use​

Plant species selection​

Meat quality​​

 ​Biodiversity​

Food production

 Conventional Beef
Lauson Continental/Alpine UNITO ​Early, standard and late grazing ​
Night penning (dung & urine deposition)		 Plant diversity​

Plant pheno stage (phenocam)

Biomass​

Vegetation re-growth chemical properties​

 Forage for domestic and wild herbivores​

Biodiversity

​

 Conventional

Montenegro

Site Biogeographic region Lead organ. Management option(s) / Technologies tested Measurements ES investigated Type of agriculture Livest. type
Durmitor Alpine region (1,300 – 17,00 m.a.s.l.) UOM Managing of grassing by sheep and cattle ​

Reducing of overgrassing​

Dynamic and timing of grass catting

Manure farmyard​

 Control of grass yield

Chemical & botanical composition​

Control of soil nutrient content ​

Improve some grassland by seeding ​

 Milk and meat production in extensive farming​

 Forage production ​

Sustainable use of PG ​

Maintenance of plant diversity

To maintain typical landscape ​

 Low input Conventional Beef

Sheep

Netherlands

Site Biogeographic region Lead organ. Management option(s) / Technologies tested Measurements ES investigated Type of agriculture Livest. type
Cows and Opportunities in combination with KTC De Marke Atlantic WR N, P, C​

Cutting​

Grazing​

Field scale, crop scale, farm scale​

 Fertilization​

Yields ​

Botanical composition​

 Soil fertility (yearly)​

 Production​

Soil, pH, fertility​

Water quality​

Feeding value and mineral composition​​

 Conventional, high input, high efficiency Dairy
Ossekampen Grassland Experiment Atlantic WR N, P, K, lime​

Cutting​

Grazing​

Small plots​

 Yields ​(2 cuts on hay plots and 3 cuts under cages, grazed plots)​

Grass composition​ (N, P, K) ​

 Botanical composition (frequency of species; once per 3 year) ​

Soil fertility​ (once per 3 year)

 Production​

 Botanical composition​

Soil, pH, fertility ​

Different extra measurements on an irregular base, like C, soil biodiversity, feeding value, mineral composition​

 Conventional Sheep
De Marke Atlantic WR N, P, K, C​

Cutting​

Grazing​

Field scale, crop scale, farm scale​

Digestate application

 Fertilization​

Yields ​

Botanical composition​

Soil fertility (yearly)

Soil mineralization

 Production​

Soil, pH, fertility​

Water quality​​

Recreation​

Feeding value, mineral composition​

 Conventional Dairy

Slovenia

Site Biogeographic region Lead organ. Management option(s) / Technologies tested Measurements ES investigated Type of agriculture Livest. type
Vremščica Alpine / Mediterranean 800 – 1,000 metres above seas level UL Grazing management for sheep, horses, pigs​

Monitoring sensitivity of grass to drought​

Presence of predators ​

Toxic plants

 Grass yield and quality, botanical, species composition​

Predators attack

 Food production​- Biodiversity​

Water quality​

Erosion control

 Organic Dairy

Sheep

Horses

Pigs
The educational research centre (PRC Logatec) Continental (470 m.a.s.l.) UK Mowing/grazing management of suckler cows Grass yield and quality, botanical species composition

Animal health, welfare and behaviour on the pasture (with use of sensors, cameras)

  Food production​

Biodiversity​

Water quality

Erosion control

 Conventional / Field experiment Beef

Spain

Site Biogeographic region Lead organ. Management option(s) / Technologies tested Measurements ES investigated Type of agriculture Livest. type
Santa Clotilde Mediterranean UCO No options, just monitoring current situation (after recent intensification of stocking rates due to a new owner in 2018) Grass/Oak-horn yield & quality​

Soil moisture​

Discharge and water quality​

GHG fluxes​

SOC stocks

 Food production

Erosion-flooding​

 Climate mitigation: Carbon   sequestration /storage​; GHG fluxes (CO2, H2O)​

 Conventional Beef

Pigs
Hinojosa del Duque Mediterranean UCO Different grass species tested for drought resistance (rainfall exclusion experiment)​

Grazed/cut​

 Grass/Oak-horn yield & quality​

 Root development​

Persistence​

Soil temperature & moisture​

Runoff / Erosion rate​

SOC stocks​

 Food production​

 Erosion-flooding​

 Climate mitigation: Carbon sequestration/storage

 Conventional Sheep

Switzerland

Site Biogeographic region Lead organ. Management option(s) / Technologies tested Measurements ES investigated Type of agriculture Livest. type
Chamau Alpine region (at 400 meters above sea level) ETH Zurich Experiment: Farmyard manure vs. increased legume fraction​

Hay cutting​

Aftermath grazing

 Plant species diversity​

Grass yield & quality​

GHG fluxes​

SOC stocks

 Food production​

Climate mitigation: Carbon sequestration/storage​GHG fluxes (CO2,H2O, CH4, N2O; since 2005)​

 Conventional, 5-6 cuts Sheep

Dairy
Früebüel Alpine region (at 1000 m.a.s.l.) ETH Zurich Farmyard manure ​

Hay cutting​

Aftermath grazing

 Plant species diversity​

Grass yield & quality​

GHG fluxes​

SOC content

 Food production

Climate mitigation: Carbon sequestration/storage GHG fluxes (CO2, H2O, since 2005)​

 Conventional, 3-4 cuts Sheep

Dairy
Alp Weissenstein Alpine region (2000 m.a.s.l) CH ETH Zurich Summer grazing Plant species diversity​

Grass yield & quality​

GHG fluxes​

SOC content

 Food production​

Climate mitigation: Carbon sequestration/storage GHG fluxes (CO2, H2O, since 2006)

 Conventional Sheep

Dairy

UK

Site Biogeographic region Lead organ. Management option(s) / Technologies tested Measurements ES investigated Type of agriculture Livest. type
Cockle Park Atlantic UNEW Compaction alleviation​

Timing of mowing/grazing​

Fertiliser rate​

 Hydrological isolated plots (surface runoff & drain flow)​

Grass yield and quality​

Bird foraging​

Soil macro-inverts

  Food production​

Biodiversity​

Water quality​

Flood control​

 Low input Conventional ​

High input Conventional

 Dairy

Beef
Palace Leas Atlantic – NPK fertiliser​

Farmyard manure​

Hay cutting​

Aftermath grazing

 Plant species diversity​

Soil macro-inverts.

Grass yield & quality​

Nutrient reserves​

– SOC content

 Food production​

Biodiversity​

Carbon sequestration/storage

Water quality

 Low input Conventional ​

High input Conventional

 Beef

Sheep

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