Sufficient grassland fertilisation is an important fact for productive grassland. Nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and chalk are the most powerful and necessary nutrients for good grassland yields. Nitrogen applied in correct quantities provides the best mass yields.

1. Austrian Role Model
for Standards in Fertilization and Seeding
of Pastures and Crop Forage Fodder
Workshop Pasture and Grazing Management in Mongolia
J HUMER
For an appropriate fertilizationarough estimation of the yieldable dry matter in tons per hectare is
helpful.Additionallythe yieldreturnsare categorizedinthe tree levels:low,medium and high for an
easier handling mode.
Austrian Pasture and Crop Forage Dry Matter Yield Ranges
Usage
of the vegetation
Yield return Yield return Yield return
low average high
in t DM/ha and year
Permanent pastures
All day pasture < 6,0 6,0 – 9,0 > 9,0
Half day pasture (below 12 h) < 6,5 6,5 – 9,5 > 9,5
Very extensive – low input pasture < 2,0  2,0 -
Crop forage fodder
Legume stressed <7,0 7,0 – 10,0 >10,0
Grass stressed <7,0 7,0 – 10,5 >10,5
Pure Grass inventory <8,0 8,0 – 12,0 >12,0
Nitrogen Fertilisation
of Pastures and Field Forage Crops
Sufficientgrasslandfertilisationisanimportantfact for productive grassland.Nitrogen,phosphorus,
potassiumandchalkare the mostpowerful andnecessarynutrientsforgoodgrasslandyields.
Nitrogenappliedincorrectquantitiesprovidesthe bestmassyields.
The following tables show the fully needed yearly nutrient demand per hectare depending by the
given yields in the above table. Yield returns are furthermore categorized in the tree levels: low,
medium and high. So at a quick glance you find the right values.

3. Austrian Recommended NITROGEN FERTILIZATION
for pastures and field forage fodder crops per hectare and year by three yield levels in kg/ha/year:
Utilization
of the vegetation
Yield return Yield return Yield return
low average high
kg N/ha kg N/ha kg N/ha
Permanent pastures
All day pasture 40 - 60 70 - 100 130 – 150
Half day pasture (below 12 h) 50 - 70 90 - 110 130 – 150
Very extensive – low input pasture - - -
Crop forage fodder
Legume stressed 0 - 40 0 - 40 0 - 40
Grass stressed 60 - 100 140 - 180 210
Pure Grass inventory - 160 - 200 210
Phosphorus and Potassium Fertilisation
of Pastures and Field Forage Crops
PhosphorusandPotassiumappliedincorrectquantitiesisveryimportantwhenlow soilcontentsby
P and K occur and forsure yieldsandvaluable andnutriablefodder.
Austrian Recommended P and K FERTILIZATION
for pastures and field forage fodder crops per hectare and year by three yield levels in kg/ha/year:
Utilization
of the vegetation
Yield return Yield return Yield return
low average high
P205 K20 P205 K20 P205 K20
Permanent pastures kg/ha kg/ha kg/ha kg/ha kg/ha kg/ha
All day pasture 10 20 15 30 25 40
Half day pasture (below 12 h) 35 90 60 160 70 200
extensive – low input pasture 10 20 20 35 - -
Crop forage fodder
Legume stressed 50 155 65 190 95 310
Grass stressed 50 145 70 205 125 365
Pure Grass inventory - - 70 225 135 390
A surcharge of 20 to 40 % bythe nutrient Pand K isrecommended,if the soil nutrientstatusislow.
A reductionorno fertilizingismade if the soil nutrientstatusishigh.

4. Austrian Pasture Yield Ranges for FERTILIZATION

5. Fertilizer and Manure Utilization
A firstthe nutrientsof manure of stabledanimalsshouldbe carefullyreusedbyrecyclingtofertilize
the land.At the beginning,additionallynutrientsmaybe used.Thismakesthe soil more fertilethat
goodpasture grassescan be betterandappropriate established.
If no soil nutrientstatusinformationare availableitisrecommendedtouse followingmineral
fertilizersinfollowingturnif theyare available:
NPK, complex fertilizers,withaNPK%proportionof about 15:15:15
NP,Diammoniaphosphate,with20 %N, 46% P
N-fertilizer,withammoniaandnitrate,nourea.
From 500 kg Livestockyoucan calculate aboutthisavailable nutrients
Nitrogen: 50 kg
Phosphorus: 30 kgP2O5
Potassium: 80 kg K20
Manure maybe bestusedbycompostingtomake it gooddistributable andlessvoluminous.Forbest
efficiencyof the nutrientsuse itmaybe distributedbeforerainyseasons.

6. Renewing of grassland
In Austria about 50% of the permanent grassland in the hilled and mountainous area is used
in an extensive way with a low stocking rate and is cut or grazed once or twice a year. The
renewing of these permanent pastures and meadows is basically ensured by self-seeding of
grasses clover and herbs. Normally there is no need for renewing measures, with the
exception of sward damage. Permanent grassland in favourable regions is used three to
seven times in very productive areas per year. Often the natural regeneration of the sward
by self-seeding is not sufficient so resowing methods have been developed to a very high
level. Resowing methods depends strongly on the topographical situation and climatic
conditions.
Pasture reclamationby hoof cultivation
Destroyed pastures can be recultivated and reclaimed if they are grazed in summer by cows,
calves or lambs. Grass/legume seeds mixture is sowed 2-5 days before the end of grazing to
be trodden in and lime, magnesia and NPK can be applied after grazing ended. Much more
good fodder grassland can be restored by grazing on improved pasture. Reclamation is
satisfactory and cost about half as much as ploughing and sowing. In the following spring,
sown herbage could be mainly established as new green matter.
Over-seeding
This is the most used method for improving permanent meadows and pastures in Austria.
Beside self-constructions, also more different types of combined machines with a curry-
comb, seed hopper and roller are developed on the market for special purposes. These
special adaptations also can be used for special like steeped grassland. The recommended
amount of seed mixture for this kind of resowing method ranges from 12 to 20 kg/ha. The
total costs (including machinery and seed mixture) amount from 100 to 200 €/ha.
Slot row seeding
This method is especially recommended for dry regions to ensure a safe germination of the
seeds. Further it is used for the application of infected barley to control pests like grubs in
the soil.
Band rotavator seeding
Band rotavator seeding was developed especially in Austria for establishing new lawn strips
in dryer areas to improve the germinating conditions and to preserve a part of the good
natural grasses and to avoid a complete ploughing up.
Rotor tilling seeding

7. Seeding with Rotor tillers is a way to renew the grassland in one step. It has nearly like the
good efficient as ploughing over and seeding a new stand without the laborious and costly
process of ploughing up. Special formed wedged tines guaranties a well seed bed for
germinating not disturbed by the big plant mass of the old stand. Even by stony soils this
technique works fine.
Ploughing up
Turning over and seeding a new stand of grassland is laborious and costly process. But it
guaranties the best stand establishment of a new sward for grassland or pastures. It is also
strictly limited by the Austrian Environmental Programme (ÖPUL). In some cases grassland
can only be ploughed or rotavated if there is no other way to improve the sward or to
control weeds. The recommended amount of seed mixture for a blank seed ranges from 25
to 30 kg/ha, depending on the kind of utilisation (pasture, meadow, ley farming) and on
specific conditions (high altitude, special grasses of the seed mixture).
Ley farming in Austria
for very productive fodder productiononareas with better soil conditions
Beside permanent grassland, farmland is used for ley farming with grass, clover or
grass/clover mixtures. Especially for extensive grassland farming systems, organic farms and
integrated farms, biological N-fixation plays an important role for their nutrient fluxes and
nitrogen budget. The development of legumes on permanent grassland and the use of
legumes in seed mixtures for ley farming is an efficient strategy to save external N-input. Ley
farming areas are very productive, as only on 9 % the areas provide around 19 % of the total
net yield and 20 % of the total energy yield and 26 % of the total protein yield.
Austrianseedmixtures for classic grasslandandalpine mountainous
grassland
The establishment of new grassland causes some additional problems under the harsh
conditions of the mountains. Deep temperatures (average annual temperature +/- 6.5°C),
frost, snow, and the short vegetation period demand for a special strategy concerning the
quality and the composition of seed mixtures.
Breeding and testing activities on grasses and clover, including species for the restoration of
Alpine environments are in Austria done. Additionally available varieties of forage grasses
and clover are steadily tested all over Austria, for longer growing periods. Beside yield,
important parameters as weed infestation, growing height, flowering, regrowth and post
winter performance, snow mould, mildew are detected. All these criteria are used to find
out the best possible varieties for the Austrian grassland. On the basis of the variety testing
seed mixtures for different utilisation on grassland are created and tested. Several grass and
clover species have been used for such seed mixtures with special consideration of
productivity and forage quality. Such seed mixtures also reduce the risk of unforeseeable
problems with unfavourable weather conditions. In terms of the harsh climatic conditions in
alpine regions, aspects of persistence, endurance and winter hardness are of great interest.
There are 35 Austrian different seed mixtures available for permanent grassland (meadows,

8. pastures, restoration of alpine environments, for reseeding activities and for ley farming
areas.
To improve the competitive power of grass-clover mixtures, they mostly are grown as an
under-seed or with a covering crop and used for a longer duration to compensate the costs
of establishment and relatively low productivity in the first year. Only the best varieties of
the different grass and clover species should be used for such quality seed mixtures.
Restoration of Alpine ecosystems Restoration activities at high altitudes, following terrain
corrections in the course of constructing ski runs, forest and alpine-meadow trails, measures
for the improvement of tourism infrastructure or torrent and avalanche barriers are a special
challenge. Only the combination of highly qualitative plant or seed material, well adapted to
the site, with optimum restoration technique ensures sustainable success. Conventional
standard mixtures available on the market mainly comprise high growing non-site-specific
lower plants originally bred for grassland economy in valley locations or as grasses for
sporting events. Site-specific subalpine are adapted to an optimum degree to the high-zone
climate. They produce less biomass, but with an appropriate choice of species, they do
produce high-quality feed. The use of such specific seed mixtures the sowing volumes could
be reduced commonly from 300 to 120 kg per hectare.
References
BMLFUW (2006): Richtlinien für die sachgerechte Düngung. Fachbeirat für
Bodenfruchtbarkeit und Bodenschutz. 6. Auflage, Bundesministerium für Land- und
Forstwirtschaft, Wien, 80 S
KIKUCHI H et al, 1965: Research on the pasture reclamation by hoof cultivation,
Paper presented at the 9th Int. Grassland Congress, São Paulo, Brazil
POETSCH E M et al, 2007: Grassland renovation in Austria - specific aspects of grassland
improvment in mountainous regions. Plant Research International, Wageningen UR,
Report 148