Multi4More Designing Multispecies Swards for Agronomic, Livestock and Environmental Performance
Eco-Friendly Livestock Farming
Maximise Yields with Multispecies Mixtures
Multi4More aims to investigate more environmentally sustainable livestock farming in Ireland by optimising forage production, reducing nitrogen inputs, improving soil health, and increasing overall yields through the use of multispecies mixtures
Addressing the Environmental Impact of Livestock Farming
The Challenge of High Nitrogen Use
Intensively-managed grassland-based livestock production in Ireland has relied heavily on high-yielding monocultures of perennial ryegrass, requiring large inputs of nitrogen fertilisers. However, excessive use of nitrogen fertilisers can result in nitrate leaching and contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, especially nitrous oxide. This can have negative effects on the environment. Multi4More will investigate whether multispecies mixtures with low nitrogen inputs can enhance agronomic performance, reduce environmental impact, and maintain high yields and forage quality for livestock farming.
Project Aims
Enhance Understanding of Plant Diversity and Fertiliser Effects on Multi-Species Mixtures
Multi4More aims to improve understanding of the combined effects of plant diversity and fertiliser on multispecies mixtures.
Multi4More aims to gain deeper insight into the impact of plant diversity on the productivity and sustainability of multispecies mixtures.
Multi4More is synthesising existing knowledge to study the impact of various types and quantities of fertiliser on the productivity of multispecies mixtures.
Multi4More compares the advantages and disadvantages of monoculture and multispecies systems to guide future management decisions.
Multi4More seeks to optimise multispecies mixtures by identifying effective plant-fertiliser combinations and management practices for sustainable long-term use.
Project Key Questions
Seeking Answers on the Effectiveness of Multispecies Mixtures
Multi4More addresses two pivotal questions related to plant diversity and fertiliser’s impact on multispecies mixtures: what are the best plant combinations of plant species? and what are sufficient nitrogen fertiliser application rates for optimal yields and quality in forage and livestock production? The project aims to optimise the use of multispecies mixtures through the synthesis of current knowledge.
Multi4More: improved understanding of multi-species mixtures
Multi4More investigates the effects of plant diversity on animal performance and environmental impact, and develops resources for targeted knowledge transfer. Multi4More researchers are analysing data from LegacyNet, a co-ordinated field experiment across 26 international sites.
