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The specific use of grasslands depends on factors such as location, land management practices and local policies. In the Netherlands and Flanders, grasslands are mainly used for livestock farming, especially dairy farming. The population density in these regions has led to increased competition for land. In both the Netherlands and Flanders there has been a trend of scaling up and intensification in dairy farming, to meet the growing and changing demand for food and animal protein production. This trend has been driven by high costs for land and labour and low costs for fertilizer and concentrates. Due to increasing competition for land and intensification, grasslands and grazing practices are under pressure in the Netherlands and Flanders. This may lead to additional losses, as grasslands not only provide high quality roughage, but also a variety of ecosystem services. The positive impact of grasslands through its services are gaining attention among Dutch and Flemish dairy farmers. Here we present the results of a survey conducted on ten commercial dairy farms in the Netherlands and Flanders that use grassland and perform grazing. The farms were not selected to be representative, but they do provide a portrait of the variable landscape in the region. Based on the multifaceted benefits of grasslands that resulted from the survey we emphasize the importance of preserving grasslands and grazing in the Netherlands and Flanders, fitting in with the theme of the conference “Why grasslands?”

CONTEXT: Policy measures have been taken to improve water quality in the Netherlands. These measures include the abolishment of derogation, which allowed dairy farmers to go beyond the maximum application of 170 kg nitrogen (N) from organic fertiliser per hectare, and additional measures of the 7th Nitrates Action program. Grass-clover swards, known for their symbiotic N fixation, could be a strategy to deal with stricter N policies and can potentially improve the environmental sustainability and economic viability of Dutch dairy farms. OBJECTIVE: The aim was to assess the effects of stricter N policies on the farm structure, farm income and environmental performance of a representative Dutch dairy farm on a sandy soil, and to assess the effect of incorporating perennial ryegrass-red white clover (GCrw) swards and perennial ryegrass-white clover (GCw) swards into the grassland management of this farm using a model. METHODS: A whole-dairy farm linear programming model was used with the objective function to maximize farm income. The model was combined with a farm nutrient balance and life-cycle assessment to determine the impact on nutrient surpluses and greenhouse gas emissions. We modelled a representative Dutch dairy farm with perennial ryegrass (PRG) before and after implementing stricter N policies. Thereafter, the implications of implementing GCrw and GCw swards was assessed. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Including the policy measures increased the share of maize land (+12%), decreased the number of dairy cows (-9 cows), reduced farm income (€-18,858 yr-1), led to similar greenhouse gas emissions (∼800 kg carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2-eq) per tonne (t) of fat and protein corrected milk (FPCM)), and resulted in a lower N surplus (-65 kg ha-1 yr-1) and phosphate surplus (-4.4 kg ha-1 yr-1) for a scenario with only PRG. The use of GCrw and GCw swards could partly compensate for the reduction in farm income (€+9,255 up to +14,706 yr-1). A combination of PRG, GCrw and

The expanded usage of white clover has increased the importance of understanding white clover dynamics. It is assumed that clover plants have a higher tolerance to moisture and nutrient deficiencies when the taproot is still present. Therefore, the survival of the seminal taproot can influence the dynamics of clover. There is no direct evidence whether increased survival of the taproot results in increased performance of white clover. In this study, we aimed to: (1) assess the relationship between taproot volume and taproot survival; and (2) whether the timing of death of the seminal taproot influences the population dynamics of white clover varieties. In a two-year field experiment with 18 white clover varieties grown in monoculture and in mixture with Lolium perenne L, the taproot characteristics and population dynamics were studied. It was shown that taproot volume was positively correlated to both leaf size and taproot presence during autumn 2017. The combination of the timing of death of the seminal tap root and the development of stolons seems to play a more important role in increasing the persistence of white clover than the survival of the seminal taproot. Future research should focus on understanding the transition from a taprooted white clover to a stolonous white clover plant.

Dutch dairy farms are facing further strengthening of legislation to minimize the environmental impact of production. One of these recent policy measures is the planned abolition of derogation. Derogation allowed dairy farmers to go beyond the 170 kg N ha-1 of animal manure under specific conditions. Establishing grass-clover swards might be a strategy towards more sustainable production and to deal with the uncertainty imposed by expected policy changes and other external factors such as feed and mineral fertilizer prices. The aim of this study was to quantify and evaluate the environmental and economic implications of implementing a perennial ryegrass-white clover or a perennial ryegrass-red+white clover sward on a representative dairy farm with sandy soils in the Netherlands in a post-derogation era. The changes in environmental impacts (e.g. nitrogen losses), economic performance (e.g. labour income) and farm configuration (e.g. diet composition) were assessed. We combined a whole-farm dairy model based on linear programming with a nutrient balance to quantify and evaluate the environmental and economic implications. Results show that the use of clover swards after derogation abolition could be an economically viable strategy and can result in a lower N surplus depending on the sward type.

Soil organisms, including earthworms, are a key component of terrestrial ecosystems. However, little is known about their diversity, their distribution, and the threats affecting them. We compiled a global dataset of sampled earthworm communities from 6928 sites in 57 countries as a basis for predicting patterns in earthworm diversity, abundance, and biomass. We found that local species richness and abundance typically peaked at higher latitudes, displaying patterns opposite to those observed in aboveground organisms. However, high species dissimilarity across tropical locations may cause diversity across the entirety of the tropics to be higher than elsewhere. Climate variables were found to be more important in shaping earthworm communities than soil properties or habitat cover. These findings suggest that climate change may have serious implications for earthworm communities and for the functions they provide., Unión Europea. Horizonte 2020, Unión Europea. FP7, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (MICCIN), sDiv [Synthesis Centre of the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Academy of Finland, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, DOB Ecology, TULIP Laboratory of Excellence, Russian Foundation for Basic Research, Tarbiat Modares University, Aurora Organic Dairy, UGC (NERO), Slovak Research and Development Agency, Science for Global Development through Wageningen University, Norman Borlaug LEAP Programme and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP), Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA), Royal Canadian Geographical Society, Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland), University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, U.S. Department of the Navy, Commander Pacific Fleet, Science and Engineering Research Board, Department of Science and Technology, New Delhi, India, Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP) of the U.S. Department of Defense, Maranhão State Research Foundation (FAPEMA), Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES), Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic, Colorado Wheat Research Foundation; Zone Atelier Alpes, French National Research Agency, Austrian Science Fund, Landwirtschaftliche Rentenbank Frankfurt am Main, Welsh Government and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development, SÉPAQ, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Finland, Science Foundation Ireland, University of Toronto (Faculty of Forestry), Haliburton Forest and Wildlife Reserve, NKU College of Arts and Sciences, Österreichische Forschungsförderungsgesellschaft, Mountain Agriculture Research Unit of the University of Innsbruck, Higher Education Commission of Pakistan, Kerala Forest Research Institute, Peechi, Kerala, UNEP/GEF/TSBF-CIAT, GRDC, AWI, LWRRDC, DRDC, National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), National Agency of Scientific and Technological Promotion (FONCyT), Universidad Nacional de Luján/FONCyT, Fonds de recherche sur la nature et les technologies du Québec, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, CONACYT, NSF, Institute for Environmental Science and Policy at the University of Illinois at Chicago, Dean’s Scholar Program at UIC, Garden Club of America Zone VI Fellowship in Urban Forestry from the Casey Tree Endowment Fund, J. E. Weaver Competitive Grant from the Nebraska Chapter of The Nature Conservancy, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at DePaul University, Elmore Hadley Award for Research in Ecology and Evolution from the UIC Dept. of Biological Sciences, Comisión Interministerial de Ciencia y Tecnología (CICYT), Yokohama National University, MEXT KAKENHI, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science KAKENHI, ADEME, Syngenta Philippines, UPSTREAM, LTSER, Comisión Europea, National Science and Technology Base Resource Survey Project of China, McKnight Foundation, Program of Fundamental Researches of Presidium of Russian Academy of Sciences, Brazilian National Council of Research CNPq, French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Depto. de Biodiversidad, Ecología y Evolución, Fac. de Ciencias Biológicas, TRUE, pub

The aim of this study was to convert the DZK sector goals - for the themes covered by the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) within the biodiversity monitor for dairy farms - into target values at farm level. Within the study, criteria were first identified and selected to determine whether generic target values can be applied for all farms or whether target values should be aligned with farm-specific characteristics. These criteria were applied to the KPIs involved. As a result, for 2 KPIs (share of protein from own farm and share of permanent grassland) it is recommended to apply generic target values. For the other three KPIs (CO2-eq emission per kg of fat and protein corrected milk, nitrogen soil surplus per ha and ammonia emission per ha) it is recommended to work with farm-specific target values that depend on farm characteristics., Het doel van deze studie was om de sectordoelen van DZK – voor de thema’s waarop de Kritieke Prestatie Indicatoren (KPI’s) binnen de Biodiversiteitsmonitor Melkveehouderij betrekking hebben - om te zetten naar doelwaarden op bedrijfsniveau. Binnen het onderzoek zijn eerst criteria geïnventariseerd en geselecteerd om te bepalen of generieke doelwaarden voor alle bedrijven gebruikt kunnen worden of dat doelwaarden afgestemd zouden moeten worden op bedrijfsspecifieke kenmerken. Die criteria zijn toegepast op de betrokken KPI’s. Met als resultaat dat voor 2 KPI’s (aandeel eiwit van eigen bedrijf en aandeel blijvend grasland) wordt geadviseerd om generieke doelwaarden toe te passen. Voor de overige drie KPI’s (CO2-eq emissie per kg meetmelk, stikstofbodemoverschot per ha en ammoniakemissie per ha) wordt geadviseerd om te werken met bedrijfsspecifieke doelwaarden die afhankelijk zijn van bedrijfskenmerken.

Het onderhavige rapport beschrijft de resultaten van een pilot in de Raam, die voor het deelprogramma Bewuste Bodem is uitgevoerd. In het onderzoek voor deze pilot is de conditie van landbouwbodems geanalyseerd ten aanzien van verdichting, organische stof, beworteling, bodemleven en fosfaattoestand.

Dairy farmers have increased interest in multiyear red clover-ryegrass ley pasture swards because of their high productivity and protein concentration but the adoption of such mixtures has been restricted because of poor persistency of many red clover cultivars currently used. We aimed (i) to assess dry-matter yield (DMY), persistence and nutritive value of four Mattenklee and four Ackerklee cultivars and (ii) to investigate the underlying plant morphological traits. We conducted a 4-year field experiment with red clover-ryegrass mixtures, in combination with a short-term pot experiment in which the red clover cultivars were grown both in monoculture and in mixture with Lolium perenne L. In the field, Mattenklees showed higher production (on average 42% higher) and clover content (on average 34% higher) in the third and fourth year of production compared to Ackerklees. In the fourth year, Mattenklees had slightly lower digestibility and lower protein concentration compared to Ackerklees cultivars; however, the digestible DMY and the protein yield were higher for Mattenklees. Both persistence and nutritive value of the different red clover cultivars were closely correlated with plant morphological traits. For stem length, there was close correlation (r > .77) between the results from the pot experiment and the field experiment, suggesting that stem length may be an important trait for plant breeding.

De Duurzame Zuivel Keten (DZK) werkt aan doelen op het gebied van biodiversiteit op melkveebedrijven. Zij heeft opdracht gegeven om Kritische Prestatie Indicatoren (KPI’s) te selecteren die inzicht kunnen geven in de status van functionele agrobiodiversiteit op een melkveebedrijf. Binnen dit onderzoek zijn uit bestaande databases 10 KPI’s geselecteerd die daarvoor in aanmerking komen. De inhoud van de databases is met name gericht op structuurkenmerken en de economische en duurzaamheidsprestaties van bedrijven. Op dit moment is er weinig informatie over de ecologie op bedrijven voorhanden. Zes van de tien geselecteerde indicatoren zouden reeds binnen 1 à 2 jaar gebruikt kunnen worden. Het betreft vooral kengetallen die een indruk geven van (1) bodemkwaliteit op basis van het gehalte aan organische stof en (2) de beïnvloeding van biodiversiteit door de uitstoot van emissies.

Vat krijgen op veenmineralisatie en remmen van bodemdaling zijn steeds dringender nodig vanuit het perspectief van onderhoud van infrastructuur, verandering van klimaat en verlies van biodiversiteit. De complexiteit van het vraagstuk eist een integrale aanpak. Vertrekpunt is het huidige verdienmodel in veenweidegebied, de melkveehouderij.

Onderzoek naar oorzaken en oplossingen van grasklaverdaling in de landbouw.

RIVM rapport:Ecosysteemdiensten en natuurlijk kapitaal van de bodem kunnen gemeten worden met een brede set indicatoren. Een karakteristieke set bestaat uit biologische bodemindicatoren, abiotische bodemindicatoren en systeemgerichte indicatoren. Een aantal chemische en biologische bodemindicatoren is eerder toegepast in het Landelijk Meetnet Bodemkwaliteit. Om ecosysteemdiensten te beoordelen zijn ook fysische en systeemgerichte indicatoren nodig. Dit rapport is de uitkomst van een multicriteria-analyse waarin de bruikbaarheid van indicatoren voor toepassing in een meetnet werd geschat door twaalf deskundigen in de bodemkunde, de bodemecologie en het agrarische bodemadvies. De indicatoren zijn ook bruikbaar voor metingen van het Natuurlijk Kapitaal van de bodem en om praktische instrumenten te ontwerpen waarmee het lokale bodembeheer en de gebiedsinrichting ondersteund kunnen worden. Dit leidt tot een betere benutting van de ecosysteemdiensten van de bodem., Soil ecosystem services can be measured with a comprehensive set of indicators. A typical set is composed of soil biological and abiotic indicators and system-oriented indicators. A number of the biological and chemical indicators have been used in the National Soil Quality Monitoring Network. For a reliable assessment of soil ecosystem services the indicator set has to contain structure and system-oriented indicators as well. This report is the result of a multicriteria analysis for the evaluation of the usefulness of indicators, which was performed by twelve professionals in soil science, soil ecology and agricultural consultancy. The indicators can also be used for the measurement of the Natural Capital of soils and for the development of practical indicator sets to support local soil and landscape management. This will ultimately lead to a more optimal use of soil ecosystem services.

Stadslandbouw wordt vaak genoemd als kansrijke invulling voor tijdelijk braakliggende stedelijke terreinen. Maar is het wel zo logisch om gewassen te verbouwen op de veelal verontreinigde stedelijke bodem? Welke kansen en risico’s zijn er? Het ‘Grondlegger’-model dat in dit artikel wordt besproken biedt wellicht uitkomst.

With the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy of the EU (CAP) there is a renewed attention for implementation of agroforestry and silvopastoral systems. The multifunctional use of trees for energy production, nutrient cycling, carbon storage, biodiversity, landscape and -last but not least- fodder could make trees a third crop next to grass and maize on dairy farms. To decide which trees to use for planting, it is important to have also insight into the feeding value of the different tree leave species. Therefore a database has been created on the basis of available literature on feeding values of leaves and twigs. Compared to grass, the in-vitro Organic Matter Digestibility of tree leaves is relatively low. However, crude protein and mineral levels of some species are relatively high, which shows the potential value of tree leaves as an additional feed source.