Pulse Brain · Growing Health Evidence Index
Tier 4 — Narrative / commentaryIndustry / policy reportConventional

Multi-species swards

Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board · 2026

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Summary

This AHDB knowledge-library resource synthesises agronomic research and practical on-farm experience to guide establishment and management of multi-species grassland swards in UK pasture-based livestock systems. As a practitioner-facing synthesis rather than primary research, it bridges scientific evidence with decision-support for UK farmers considering transition from grass monoculture to botanically diverse pastures. The guidance likely addresses agronomic performance, forage resilience, and economic viability relevant to contemporary UK farming practice.

Regional applicability

This resource is specifically designed for United Kingdom conditions and contemporary UK farming policy and practice. Its direct applicability to UK livestock systems is a core purpose; no transferability assessment is required.

Key measures

Likely to include metrics on sward botanical composition, forage quality and yield, resilience to environmental stress, and economic viability of multi-species systems relative to conventional monocultures.

Outcomes reported

The resource synthesises agronomic research and on-farm experience to guide the establishment and management of multi-species grassland swards. It likely addresses forage composition, sward resilience, agronomic performance, and practical decision-making for UK farmers transitioning from grass monoculture.

Theme
Farming systems, soils & land use
Subject
Grassland & pasture systems
Study type
Guideline
Study design
Industry/practitioner guidance synthesis
Source type
Industry/policy report
Status
Published
Geography
United Kingdom
System type
Pasture-based livestock
Catalogue ID
IRmqf5pj73-54fd47

Topic tags

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