Comparison of nutritive value and productivity of fertilized and non-fertilized pasture

Abstract

According to grassland management, the agricultural policy of the Europian Community prefers and subsidizes the semi-intensive technology instead of utilizing high dose of fertilizer. That’s why Hungarian pastures of this category will demand reasonable decrease or even the complete omitting of fertilization. Since there is no Hungarian literal data on comparison of productivity of fertilized and non-fertilized grassland in farm conditions (under the same ecological circumstances and same types of pasture) we have carried out an experiment at the Faculty of Animal Science, University of Kaposvár. Our results confirm that fertilization especially improves the crude protein-content of the grass, which provides 30 g/kg DM crude protein-content surplus applying 100 kg N, 40 kg P and 40 kg K agent per hectare yearly. Comparing the yield and nutritive value of fertilized and non-fertilized pasture we can claim, that the quantity of green yield, dry matter, crude protein and digestible 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. The difference of yield per ha on fertilized and non-fertilized area calculated in green weight, dry matter, crude protein and digestible energy is significant.