EFFECT OF ZERO FERTILIZATION ON PASTURE PRODUCTIVITY, AND DRAFT HORSE KEEPING CAPACITY
Abstract
Considering the requirements of the European Union the demand for environment protection and cost effectiveness in farming has been resulting a reasonable decrease of fertilization on pasture. Since data on the effects of reducing fertilizers – under same conditions and with same grass types – can hardly be found in literature an experiment was set up on the pastures Study Farm of University of Kaposvár, Faculty of Animal Science between 1999-2000. The area was partly fertilized (14.6 ha), the rest (26.4 ha) was kept as non treated control. Fertilizing parameters were as follows: yearly quantities per hectare, N 100 kg, P 40 kg, K 40 kg. In our examination we compared the productivity (nutritional value, yield and livestock supplying capacity) of fertilized and non-fertilized homogenous type of pasture, was utilized by draft horses. By our results the quantity of green yield, dry matter, crude protein and digestive energy on one hectare fertilized area is equal with on 1,33 ha, 1,19 ha, 1,34 ha and 1,12 ha non-fertilized area. Live weight gain of mares and foals showed that the horse meat quantity produced on one hectare of fertilized grassland can be regenerated on 1.7 ha of non fertilized pasture.
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