New aspects of grassland recovery in old-fields revealed by trait-based analyses of perennial-crop-mediated succession

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COMPARISON OF SPECIES-RICH COVER CROP MIXTURES IN HUNGARIAN WINEYARDS

Sustainable floor management has played an important role in viticulture recently. Intensive agricultural practices of past decades - like mechanical cultivation on steep slope vineyards - endanger the vineyards. Suboptimal inter-row and undervine floor management, especially coupled with extreme weather conditions can lead to heavy soil degradation. In addition, because of climate change we anticipate heavier rainstorms, which can accelerate degradation of the soil. In Hungarian viticulture, preservation of soil moisture is extremely important because of the low amount of annual precipitation (sometimes less than 500 mm per year) and evapotranspiration from June to August is typically higher than precipitation (Bauer et al., 2004). Therefore, the use of cover crops in the inter-row can be beneficial, particularly on steep slopes and in case of organic farming to provide environmentally friendly soil management. One of the most often used soil management methods in the vineyards of Hungary is mechanical cultivation. But when this is used too often or inadequately, several negative effects can be observed: dry soil caused by increased evapotranspiration, deteriorating soil structure, increased erosion and nutrient losses (Bauer et al., 2004; Aljibury and Christensen, 1972; Dijck et al., 2002). Continuous mechanical soil management can also lead to topsoil and subsoil compaction from long-term traffic (Ferrero et al., 2005; Zanathy, 2006). For soil covering, several materials (e.g. straw, reed, sedge) or cover crops can be used. The species-rich cover crop mixture helps to not only to prevent erosion and provide easier of cultivation, but has a positive effect on soil structure, soil fertility and ecosystem functioning. The growth of the roots is influenced by soil structure, so the growth of the grapevine is also influenced by compaction and soil moisture (Wheaton et al., 2008). Requirements for a suitable cover crop species are as follows: it should save the soil from erosion and compaction caused by the movement of workers and machines and it should not compete significantly with the grapevines. In addition of these parameters, the optimal mixture contains local species from local provenance

Lokális talajmagbank szerepe löszgyepek helyreállításában

A degradálódott, fragmentált gyepek diverzitásának helyreállításában a lokális propagulum-készletnek meghatározó szerepe van. Természetközeli állapotú löszgyep (Salvio-Festucetum) és egy legeltetést követően felhagyott löszlegelő (Cynodonti-Poëtum) vegetációját és magbankját tanulmányoztuk. A vegetáció fajösszetételét 2008 júniusában 12-12 darab, 1 m2-es kvadrátban vettük fel. 2009 tavaszán kvadrátonként 3 fúrt talajmintát vettünk, melyeket mintakoncentrálást követően csíráztattunk. A következő kérdésekre kerestük a választ: (1) A vizsgált gyepekre jellemző fajok milyen sűrűségű magbankkal rendelkeznek a talajban? (2) Milyen mértékben tér el a degradált és a természetközeli állapotú löszgyep magbankja? (3) A vizsgált gyepek esetében gyeprekonstrukciós munkák során milyen mértékben támaszkodhatunk a lokális magbankra? A vegetációban és magbankban összesen 94 fajt mutattunk ki. A degradált gyep vegetációját alacsony kvadrátonkénti fajszám (átlag 10,2 faj/m2) és a Festuca rupicola dominanciája jellemezte (átlagosan mintegy 45%). A természetközeli állapotú gyepre szignifikánsan magasabb fajszám volt jellemző (átlag 27 faj/m2). A magbank sűrűsége a két gyep esetében nem mutatott jelentős eltérést (rendre 22 800 és 20 200 mag/m2). A magbankban gyeptípustól függetlenül degradáltabb állapotokra jellemző kétszikű fajokat (Hypericum perforatum 6200 mag/m2, Galium verum 4270 mag/m2, Achillea collina 2100 mag/m2) és generalista fűneműeket (Poa angustifola 1060 mag/m2, Carex stenopylla és praecox 2480 mag/m2) találtunk 1000 mag/m2-t meghaladó sűrűségben. A gyomok közül csak a Veronica persica (1215 mag/m2) és a Conyza canadensis (6760 mag/m2) sűrűsége haladta meg ezt az értéket. A természetközeli állapotokra jellemző fajok jelentős része csak szórványos magbankkal rendelkezett (pl. Salvia austriaca, S. nemorosa, Pimpinella saxifraga, Medicago falcata)

Abandonment of croplands: problem or chance for grassland restoration?: case studies from Hungary

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Vergleich von artenreichen Begrünungsmischungen in ungarischen Weingebieten

Intensive mechanical soil cultivation and herbicide treatment was often the preferred technology in vineyards in the second half of the 20th century. In the last decades we increasingly experienced the disadvantages of these technologies: soil degradation, erosion and deflation damages. The use of well-adapted cover-crop mixtures could be an alternative. In 2012 we started to study three different species-rich cover crop mixtures (Biocont-Ecovin, Legume mixture, Grass-herb mixture) in Hungarian vineyards. For 2013 we detected lower weed coverage in the inter-rows sown with the Grass-herb and Legume mixtures, while in control and Biocont-Ecovin inter-rows we detected increasing weed coverage. In the third year (2014) we found in case of every plot that the grass-herb mixture-covered inter-rows were the least weedy. The most successful species in the inter-rows are: Coronilla varia, Lotus corniculatus, Medicago lupulina, Onobrychis viciifolia, Plantago lanceolata, Trifolium repens, Trifolium pratense

Co-seeding grasses and forbs supports restoration of species-rich grasslands and improves weed control in ex-arable land

Sowing is widely used for the restoration of species-rich grasslands but still there are knowledge gaps regarding the most suitable application of different seed mixtures. We tested the effect of seed mixtures application timing on the establishment of sown forbs and weed control. 36 experimental plots with nine sowing treatments were established in an abandoned cropland in Hungary. Grass-seeds, diverse forb seed mixture and the combination of the two were applied: diverse forb mixture was sown simultaneously or 1, 2 or 3 years after grass sowing, in plots sown previously with grass or in empty plots (fallows). All sowing treatments supported the rapid establishment of the sown species in large cover and hampered weed encroachment. Forbs performed better when sown into fallows than in grass-matrix and forbs establishment was worse in older fallows than in younger ones. Grasses expressed a strong priority effect, especially when forbs were sown at least two years later than grasses. We also investigated the relation between seed germinability, weather parameters and establishment success. Germination rate in the greenhouse could not predict the establishment success of forbs in the field and showed great differences between years, hence we recommend sowing target forbs in multiple years

Cultural heritage and biodiversity conservation - plant introduction and practical restoration on ancient burial mounds

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