The effectiveness of surface improvement of sloping mountain meadows of the Carpathians

Abstract

Goal. To determine peculiarities of formation of phytocenoses, productivity, chemical composition, nutritive value, and energy content of grass forages depending on the options for surface improvement of slope meadows of the mountain forest belt of the Carpathians at different modes of use. Methods. General scientific methods (hypotheses, induction and deduction, analogy, generalization)-to select the work program, and special (field, laboratory, mathematical-statistical, calculation)-to conduct researches and their generalization. Results. Surface improvement of cereals and grasses (with 28% share of low-value in feed terms Nardus stricta) low-productive (1.39 t/ha of dry weight) slope grasslands of mountain forest belt of the Carpathians improves their species composition and chemical composition of feed increases the productivity of the land. Share of sowed cereals or legumes increases to 34-46%. Under the hay regime the highest efficiency as to the output from 1 ha of dry mass was fixed for reseeding mixtures of grasses on the background of N60P30K60 (4.33 t), for the multi-mow regime-reseeding of white clover on the background of P30K60 (3,71 t), that was, respectively, by 14 and 106% more than in the variants without reseeding, and by 146 and 167% more than in the variants without improvement. Among measures of surface improvement influencing forage quality by chemical composition, increasing the content of crude protein, was the introduction of N60P30K60 or 15 t/ha of manure at multi-mow use, and reseeding of white clover-on the background P30K60. Regardless of the measures of surface improvement the highest content of crude protein, the best energy content, and nutritional value of grass fodder were fixed for multi-mow (simulated pasture) mode of use than for hay-mowing. Conclusions. Surface improvement of meadows of the mountain forest belt of the Carpathians with natural grass by operating factors of the improvement of species composition and quality of grass fodder, as well as an increase of their productivity, is the annual entering of N60P30K60 or 15 t/ha of manure, or N60P30K60 + reseeding of grass mixture (Lolium pratense and Phleum pratense) for hay use, or P30K60 + reseeding of white clover for multi-mow use. The best positive effect ensures the application of mineral fertilizers in combination with the reseeding of perennial grasses.