Arable and Grassland Management, Soil Cultivation and Soil Ecology
Arable and Grassland Management
Modern management methods and techniques for both arable land and grasslands have significant impacts on biodiversity. Therefore, it is essential to understand and communicate these effects. From this understanding, recommendations can be made for sustainable practices that are compatible with nature conservation and environmental protection.
Since the Neolithic Revolution, grain has been cultivated on arable land in Central Europe. For thousands of years, grasslands were primarily used as pastures, and from the Middle Ages onwards, they have also been utilized as meadows. Following World War II, the long history of agriculture evolved into what is now known as conventional agriculture. This modern form of farming introduced many new techniques and substances to land use. For arable farming, examples include more powerful machinery, reduced crop rotation, breeding of high-yield hybrid varieties, use of mineral fertilizers and slurry instead of manure, pesticides, drainage, abandoning less productive soils, and comprehensive land consolidation measures, which removed many landscape structures.
In grassland management, significant changes include the increasing use of fertilization, which has resulted in earlier cutting dates, and a greater number of harvests. Other important factors influencing biodiversity are drainage, new mowing techniques, and the sowing of high-performance seed mixtures instead of the previously species-rich stocks.
These factors have contributed, and continue to contribute, to the increasing yields in both arable farming and grasslands, making food and fodder production more efficient and secure. However, this increased efficiency often results in lower prices for many products, creating pressure to rationalize and expand farms. This has resulted in the decline of many smaller, less profitable farms, and over time, the same amount of agricultural output is produced by fewer and fewer farmers.
The intensification of agriculture has also revealed numerous problems, especially in the last two decades. These include the homogenization and disappearance of traditional cultural landscapes, the sharp decline in biodiversity in arable land and grasslands (arable wild plants are by far the most endangered plant group in Germany, and species-rich meadows—habitat types 6510 and 6520 under the Habitats Directive—have drastically decreased), pesticide residues in food (such as the debate on glyphosate's cancer risk), nitrate contamination of soils and groundwater, and the increasingly debated issue of industrial livestock farming.
Overall, farmers are facing increasing pressure from the public, politicians, and the food industry, often with conflicting demands. For instance, the public is calling for better animal welfare and reduced use of pesticides and fertilizers, while the food trade prioritizes lower production costs. Meanwhile, political stances on these issues can vary significantly depending on the party in power.
The awareness of these issues, some of which were recognized as early as the 1970s, sparked a countermovement in the 1980s advocating for organic farming. This approach prohibits the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides and emphasizes animal welfare. In recent years, organic farming has gained momentum as the population has become more aware of these issues.
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Soil Cultivation
In agriculture, several mechanical soil cultivation methods are employed, primarily aimed at (I) creating a favorable physical environment for the germination and growth of subsequent crops, (II) incorporating crop residues into the soil, and (III) controlling weeds and pests. Soil cultivation is usually a multi-stage process, and in the case of tillage, it significantly disrupts soil structure and soil life (Linckh et al., 1996). Potential consequences include the destruction of natural soil layers and pore structure, with negative effects on water and nutrient transport and storage. Soil life and the stabilization of soil carbon can also be adversely affected, accelerating the breakdown of humus. Certain groups of organisms, essential for ecosystem functions and services (e.g., soil fauna and microflora, important for soil structure, decomposition processes, and plant nutrition), are particularly negatively impacted by tillage (Bardgett, 2005).
Several soil-conserving cultivation methods are available, ranging from non-inversion tillage (mulch sowing) to minimal soil disturbance (direct sowing). By protecting soil life, these methods make a significant contribution to maintaining the functional biodiversity of soils. They help mitigate negative effects on soil quality and offer various adaptation options to climate change, including:
- Improved water absorption and retention through enhanced pore structure and humus content,
- Reduced evaporation of soil moisture through organic residues on the surface,
- Carbon sequestration in the soil through improved stabilization and humus formation.
Therefore, decisions on soil cultivation strategies should consider factors such as soil type, climate, crop rotation, and weed and pest pressure. It is particularly important to question the necessity of inversional tillage.
Sources
Bardgett, R. (2005): The Biology of Soil. A community and ecosystem approach. Oxford University Press.
Linckh, G., Sprich, H., Flaig, H., Mohr, H. (1996): Sustainable Agriculture and Forestry. VERAKADEMIE Baden-Württemberg.
Dierschke, H. & Briemle, G. (2008): Cultural Grassland, Ulmer, Stuttgart. 239 pages.
Krombholz, K., Bertram, H., Wandel, H. (2009): 100 Years of Agricultural Technology – from Manual Labor to High-Tech in Germany. DLG-Verlag. 288 pages.
Albrecht, H. (1995): Changes in the Arable Weed Flora of Germany During the Last Five Decades. – Proceedings of the 9th EWRS Symposium, Budapest: 41–48.
Hofmeister, H. & Garve, E. (2006): Habitat Arable Land. – 2nd Edition: 327 pages, Remagen-Oberwinter.
Röder, N., Schmidt, T.G., Osterburg, B. (2015): Grassland: More Than Just Fodder. Braunschweig: Johann Heinrich von Thünen Institute, 6 pages, Thünen à la carte 1, doi:10.3220/CA_1_2015.