Pulse Brain · Growing Health Evidence Index
Tier 3 — Observational / field trialPeer-reviewed

Beneficial effects of multi-species mixtures on N2O emissions from intensively managed grassland swards

Saoirse Cummins, John A. Finn, Karl G. Richards, Gary Lanigan, Guylain Grange, Caroline Brophy, L. M. Cardenas, T. H. Misselbrook, C.K. Reynolds, Dominika Król

The Science of The Total Environment · 2021

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Summary

This multi-institutional field trial, conducted across the United Kingdom and Ireland, compared N₂O emissions from mono-species and multi-species grassland swards under intensive management. The findings suggest that increasing botanical diversity in intensively managed grasslands may offer a practical approach to mitigate N₂O emissions from livestock production systems, though the underlying mechanistic pathways remain incompletely characterised. The work addresses a significant climate mitigation challenge in intensive pastoral agriculture.

UK applicability

The study was conducted partly in the United Kingdom and is directly applicable to UK intensive grassland management and livestock production systems. The findings may inform mitigation strategies for UK pastoral farming under climate-related policy targets.

Key measures

N₂O emissions (nitrous oxide); sward botanical composition; intensity of grassland management

Outcomes reported

The study measured N₂O emissions from mono-species and multi-species grassland swards under intensive management across multiple field sites. The work assessed whether increased botanical diversity could reduce greenhouse gas emissions from intensively managed pastoral systems.

Theme
Climate & resilience
Subject
Climate & greenhouse gas mitigation
Study type
Research
Study design
Field trial
Source type
Peer-reviewed study
Status
Published
Geography
International
System type
Intensive livestock
DOI
10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148163
Catalogue ID
BFmowc1zyw-gb6bxy

Topic tags

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