SOIL FERTILITY AND GRASSLAND PRODUCTION

RAZEC I., MOCANU V., RAZEC Maria, MARUŞCA T., BLAJ V.
R&D Institute for Pastures, Brasov, Romania
pajisti@brasovia.ro

The Romanian national pastoral patrimony of 4,9 millions hectares, from which 3,4 millions hectares pastures and 1,5 millions hectares hay meadows, constituting 34% from the total national agriculture surface, represents a vast vegetative resource for livestock feeding, but in the same time an important vegetal germplasm resource, an environmental protection and landscape leisure.

The primary production (green matter), the secondary production (live weight gain) and the biodiversity of grasslands are close related with the edaphic factors that influence the soil-plant-animal relation. The ecological conditions also affect the soil forming and fertility and the specific vegetation. Grasslands cover a large area from the seaside level to the high Carpathian alpine zones, and are generally situated on less fertile terrains, affected by limitative factors of the production (slope, erosion, excess of humidity, acidity, etc.).

The research results during a large time period of experiments, lead to the elaboration of grassland cultivation technologies that allow an increase of production more than 8-10 times, depending on the pedoclimatic zone, by the application of irrigation, fertilization, resowing, oversowing, rational grazing or harvesting. On the natural and seminatural grasslands, the improvement of soil fertility by the application of moderate doses of chemical fertilizers or manure it was ascertain an increase of species number with a high feeding level. The improvement of soil fertility by application of chemical fertilizers, prove to be efficient until 900-1000m altitude, after then the gain yield doesn' t cover the working expenses.
The maintenance of grassland soil fertility is achieved by a good management that provides:

1. to reduce at minimum the losses of nutritive elements;
2. to establish the doses and period of nutrients application;
3. liming application;
4. works for soil improvement;
5. to avoid the soil settling.

References

1. . Bălăceanu V., Marian E., 1985, Solurile Carpaţilor româneşti, Lucrări ştiinţifice ale I.C.P.C.Pajişti Braşov, vol X, pp. 75-108.
2. Ciubotaru C., Popovici D., Pop M., Cardaşol l V., Iacob T., Petcu I., Razec I., Ionel A., V.Vîntu, 1994, Influenţa fertilizării şi amendării de durată asupra principalelor tipuri de pajişti din România, Lucrări ştiinţifice ale I.C.P.C.Pajişti Braşov, vol XVI, pp. 102-110.
3. Frame J., 1994, Improved Grassland Management,Cap. 9, Effect of Soil Factors on Grass, pp.79-90.
4. Teaci D., Neacşu M., Munteanu M., Canarache A., 1980, Resursele de terenuri de pajişti din România, şi problemele principale ale productivităţii actuale şi de perspectivă, Lucrări ştiinţifice ale I.C.P.C.Pajişti Braşov, vol VI, pp. 3-20.