The World Atlas of Desertification assessment concept for conscious land use solutions

The assessment concept that has been outlined for the compilation of the new World Atlas of Desertification (WAD) confronts this complexity by converging evidence of stress on the land system caused by various issues. Preventing judgement on the complex status of ‘land degradation’ the WAD opens the way to a positive approach to deal with the problem, providing also helpful evidence for stakeholders to design more conscious solutions for land use.JRC.H.5-Land Resources Managemen

The game damages on agricultural crops in Croatia

Conflicts between wildlife and humans have been reported from all over the world, but in Croatia the extent and intensity of the conflict is increasing. Agricultural damage by game is a major concern for both agricultural and wildlife agencies at the national level. In this study 4,695 cases of game damage over a 4-year period were analysed. Results indicated that the total amount of economic impact on agriculture from game damage was significant. The distribution of payments shows that a majority of payments have lower economic value with an average amount of single payment being 477.08 €. The annual number of payments was found to have a negative correlation coefficient (-0.469) to the total payment amount for damages. According to the number of payments (68% of the number of payments) and the payment amount (60% of total payment amount), the crop most often damaged was maize. Analysis of the data found that there was a negative growth trend of payment frequency and total payment amount for grape vineyards. The correlation between yearly number of payments and yearly production was not calculated for any crop. The high seasonal nature of payments was a determent of seasonal regression using a dummy variable regression (r2=0.93). A comparison of the monthly number of payments and monthly amounts is depicted by a time series using a seasonal line. The impact of wild boar damage on agriculture crops, in total, leads to the conclusion that this game species is a major problem. The results showed a specific subset of game damage in Croatia and, as such, it can be extrapolated to provide insight into the damage caused by wild boar in other countries

HRANJIVOST TRAVNIH SILAŽA BAZIRANA NA SADRŽAJU SUHE TVARI

Total of 477 grass silage samples of different origin and quality were analysed by NIR spectroscopy to determine crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fibre (NDF), digestible organic matter (OM) in the dry matter (DM) (D-value), metabolizable energy (ME), pH value and the ammonium nitrogen (NH3-N). According to DM content (g kg-1 fresh sample), the samples were divided into 8 classes: (1)> 228; (2) 229-313; (3) 314-398; (4) 399-483; (5) 484-568; (6) 569-653; (7i) 654-738; (8) 0.005) in NDF and pH value. It was concluded that increased DM concentration in silage samples was not a result of –grass wilting before ensiling but of advanced grass maturity at harvest.Ukupno 477 uzoraka travnih silaža različitoga porijekla i kvalitete analizirano je NIR spektroskopijom. Utvrđen je sadržaj sirovih proteina (SP), neutralnih detergent vlakana (NDV), probavljive organske tvari (OT) u suhoj tvari (ST) (D-vrijednosti), metaboličke energije (ME), pH vrijednosti i amonijskoga dušika (NH3-N). Prema sadržaju ST (g kg-1 svježeg uzorka), uzorci su nasumce razvrstani u 8 razreda: (1) 739. Povećanjem sadržaja ST, opadao je (P<0,05) sadržaj SP, D-vrijednost, ME, a povećavao se (P<0,05) udio NDV i pH vrijednosti, jer viši udio ST nije bio rezultat duljega provenjavanja biljne mase prije siliranja, nego košnje tratine u kasnijim fazama fitofenološke zrelosti

Fermentirano vlažno zrno kukuruza kao dodatak sjenaži lucerne djeluje superiorno na probavljivost suhe tvari obroka u odnosu na suho zrno kukuruza

The objectives of the experiment were to examine whether high moisture maize grain (HMM) is superior to low moisture maize grain (LMM) as supplement to alfalfa haylage (Medicago sativa L.) (AH). The effects of HMM and LMM supplementation to AH were studied on feed intake, water intake and dry matter (DM) digestibility in wether sheep. Alfalfa was harvested at the beginning of flowering and ensiled into round bales wrapped with plastic. The average DM and crude protein (CP) concentration of AH was 534.7 g kg-1 fresh sample and 141 g kg-1 DM, respectively. The average DM content (g kg-1 fresh sample) of HMM and LMM were 795.9 and 915.1 g kg-1 fresh sample, respectively, while the average CP concentration (g kg-1 DM) were 116.8 and 106.0, respectively. The study consisted of five feeding treatments incorporating AH only and AH supplemented with 5 or 10 g HMM or LMM d-1 kg-1 wether body weight. The inclusion of HMM (5 or 10 g kg-1 body weight d-1) into AH based ration resulted in higher diet DM digestibility (P<0.05) in comparison with LMM inclusion (5 or 10 g kg-1 body weight d-1). Higher daily fresh matter intake (FMI) (P<0.05), dry matter intake (DMI) (P<0.05) and water intake (P<0.05) was achieved with LMM inclusion in comparison with HMM inclusion. The conclusion was that HMM is superior over LMM as supplement to AH in terms of DM digestibility, while LMM has advantages over HMM in the intake characteristics measured.Cilj istraživanja bio je utvrditi je li vlažno zrno kukuruza (HMM) kao dodatak sjenaži lucerne (AH) superiorno u odnosu na suho zrno kukuruza (LMM) obzirom na konzumaciju hrane i vode, te probavljivost obroka u hranidbi kastriranih ovnova. Lucerna (Medicago sativa L.) je košena u fenološkoj fazi početka cvatnje i silirana u bale ovijene plastičnom folijom. Prosječan udio suhe tvari (ST) i sirovih proteina (SP) u AH bio je 534,7 g kg-1 svježeg uzorka i 141 g kg-1 DM, respektivno. Prosječan udio ST u HMM i LMM bio je 795,9 i 915,1 g kg-1 svježeg uzorka, respektivno, a prosječan udio SP (g kg-1 DM) bio je 116,8 i 106, respektivno. Istraživano je ukupno 5 hranidbenih tretmana uključujući hranidbu samo s AH, te AH s dodatkom HMM ili LMM u količini od 5 ili 10 g d-1 kg-1 tjelesne mase kastrata. Veća probavljiost ST obroka (P<0,05) je utvrđena kod dodatka HMM sjenaži lucerne (5 ili 10 g d-1kg-1 tjelesne mase) u usporedbi s dodatkom LMM (5 ili 10 g d-1kg-1 tjelesne mase). Veća konzumacija svježeg obroka (P<0,05), ST obroka (P<0,05) i vode je utvrđena kod dodatka LMM u usporedbi s dodatkom HMM. Zaključeno je da HMM kao dodatak AH djeluje superiorno na probavljivost ST obroka u odnosu na LMM, a dodatak LMM ima prednosti u konzumaciji obroka odnosu na HMM

Voluntary intake, digestibility and nitrogen utilization by sheep fed ensiled grass clover mixture harvested at three stages of maturity

Cilj ovih istraživanja bio je utvrditi ad libitum konzumaciju i in vivo probavljivost silaže travno-djetelinskih smjesa (TDS) košenim u različitim stadijima fenološke zrelosti. TDS-a je spremljena u tri različite faze fenološkog razvoja klupčaste oštrice (Dactylis glomerata L.) kao dominantne trave u tratini: kasno vlatanje (TDS 1), metličanje (TDS 2) i cvatnja (TDS 3). Udio suhe tvari (ST) u TDS 1, TDS 2 i TDS 3 iznosio je 396, 408 i 463 g kg-1 svježeg uzorka, respektivno, a sirovih proteina (SP) 119,6, 98,0, i 90,3 g kg-1 ST respektivno. Odgađanjem roka košnje TDS-a za proizvodnju silaže statistički značajno (P<0,001) povećao se udio ST u TDS 3, kao i organske tvari (P<0,001), neutralnih detergent vlakana (NDF) (P<0,05) i kiselih detergent vlakana (ADF) (P<0,001) u odnosu na TDS 1. Silaža ranog roka košnje sadržavala je više sirovih proteina (P<0,001) u odnosu na silažu srednjeg i kasnog roka košnje. Odgađanjem roka košnje TDS-a došlo je do linearnog smanjenja (PL<0,01) ad libitum konzumacije ST, organske tvari (OT) i NDF, kao i do linearnog smanjenja (PL<0,01) probavljivosti ST, OT, SP, NDF i ADF. Zaključeno je da rok košnje TDS značajno utječe na kemijski sastav, ad libitum konzumaciju, in vivo probavljivost i balans dušika silaže. Ukoliko stočarska proizvodnja zahtijeva voluminoznu krmu visoke kakvoće, TDS je potrebno kositi u ranijoj fazi fenološke zrelosti.The objective of this experiment was to study the effects of grass maturity at harvest on silage ad libitum intake, in vivo digestibility and N retention in wether sheep. The sward was harvested at the stem elongation, tasseling and flowering growth stages of orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata). Three silages were offered to four Charolais wether sheep in an incomplete change over design with four periods. As the crop matured, there was an increase (P<0.001) in dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) concentration and a decrease in crude protein (CP) concentration (P<0.001). Increasing maturity of grass ensiled showed a linear decrease (P<0.01) in voluntary silage intake of DM, OM, neutral detergent fiber (NDF), a linear decrease (P<0.01) in digestibility of silage DM, OM, NDF, ADF, CP, and a linear decrease in nitrogen balance (P<0.01). No quadratic response was recorded in silage intake, digestibility or N balance. The results suggest that grass maturity at harvest influences the nutritive value of grass silage, in terms of ad libitum intake, in vivo digestibility and N retention in sheep, as a result of changes in chemical composition

The response of white clover (Trifolium repens L.) to N fertilizing and stocking density in semi-natural grassland

Smanjenje pašnog opterećenja i primjena mineralnih gnojiva mjere su održanja ili povećanja bioraznolikosti poluprirodnih travnjaka. Promjene intenziteta proizvodnje mogu utjecati na populaciju bijele djeteline u sastavu pašnjaka. Cilj ovoga rada bio je utvrditi reakciju bijele djeteline u uvjetima primjene manjih količina dušika i smanjenja zaposjednutosti pregona. Trogodišnje istraživanje provedeno je na poluprirodnom travnjaku, u uvjetima rotacijskog napasivanja ovcama. Istraživan je utjecaj gnojidbe dušikom u količinama od 35 (N35), 100 (N100) i 150 (N150) kg N ha-1 i zaposjednutosti pregona od 68 (ZP68) uvjetnih grla (UG) i 119 UG ha-1 (ZP119) na prinos ST bijele djeteline i njezin udio u dostupnoj biljnoj masi, te učestalost i regenerativnu sposobnost bijele djeteline. Zaposjednutost pregona nije utjecala na prinos ST bijele djeteline niti na udio bijele djeteline u dostupnoj biljnoj masi. Gnojidba sa 35 kg N ha-1 povećala je prinos ST bijele djeteline uz povećanje relativnog udjela prosječno 34 % i 48 % u usporedbi sa 100 kg N ha-1 i 150 kg N ha-1 samo u jednoj godini istraživanja. Tijekom eksperimentalnog razdoblja utvrđen je trend smanjenja broja vegetativnih vrhova, dužine vriježa i mase ST vriježa bijele djeteline. Reakcija bijele djeteline u pokazateljima regenerativne sposobnosti na zaposjednutost pregona i gnojidbu bila je različita, ovisno o dijelu vegetacijske sezone. Rezultati upućuju na to da je bijela djetelina nestabilna florna sastavnica ovakvog tipa pašnjaka. Unatoč tome, smanjenje primjene N poželjno je u cilju bolje regeneracijske sposobnosti i produktivnosti bijele djeteline.Reduction of stocking rates and fertilizer inputs are recommended for maintaining or enhancing biodiversity of semi-natural habitats. White clover population could be affected by changes in grassland production intensity. The aim of the present study was to investigate the white clover response on N application and stocking density. Three-year experiment was carried out on semi-natural grassland that was rotationally grazed with sheep. Three levels of N fertilizer were applied: 35, 100 and 150 kg N ha-1 (N35, N100 and N150, respectively) and two levels of stocking density were managed: 68 and 119 animal units ha-1 (ZP68 and ZP119, respectively) to investigate their effect on white clover dry matter (DM) yield, white clover content, frequency and regenerative ability. White clover DM yield and its content in the sward was not affected by the stocking density. The white clover content decreased during the experiment. The effect of N application on regenerative ability parameters was not constant and depends on the part of the vegetation season. These results indicate that the white clover is an unstable floristic component in the type of grassland investigated under applied management practice. However, reduction in N inputs is necessary to improve performance and the regenerative ability of the white clover

Initiation date and nitrogen rate for stockpiling semi-natural mountain grassland

Reducing costs in livestock farming can be achieved by stockpiling. Stockpiling is managing a pasture or hay to accumulate forage produced during the growing season to be grazed at a later time. The objective of this study was to identify stockpile initiation dates and N fertilization rates that optimize stockpile yield and quality of semi-natural mountain grassland in Croatia. A randomized complete block design with four replications was applied. Stockpile initiation dates were 15 June, 1 July, 15 July and 1 August. Nitrogen fertilization treatments were 0, 35, or 70 kg*ha-1 applied as ammonium nitrate on the date of stockpile initiation for each treatment. In late fall before snowy period were determined dry matter yield (DM), botanical composition, crude protein (CP), neutral (NDF) and acid detergent fibre (ADF) content. Stockpile forage DM yield was generally greater from earlier stockpile initiation dates (2.91, 2.18, 2.05 and 1.44 t DM*ha-1 for 15 June, 1 July, 15 July and 1 August stockpile initiation dates, respectively; LSD at 0.05 = 0.24). Stockpile forage DM yield was the greatest with 70 kg N*ha-1 and the lowest with 0 N fertilization, averaging 1.78, 2.23 and 2.43 t DM*ha-1 (LSD at 0.05 = 0.14) for 0, 35, and 70 kg N*ha-1, respectively, when averaged across stockpile initiation dates and years. Crude protein tended to increase and neutral detergent fiber tended to decrease as stockpile initiation was later in the season. These results indicate that initiating stockpiling of seminatural mountain grassland about first half of July with 35 kg N*ha-1 optimizes stockpiled grassland in the North-West region of Croatia