The Dessau Grassland Experiment—Impact of Fertilization on Forage Quality and Species Assembly in a Species-Rich Alluvial Meadow

Since alluvial meadows of river valleys the Cnidion dubii are protected by EU Habitats Directive, reconciling farmers’ demands for forage quality with objective maintaining them in good conservation status is an important issue grassland research. In a long-term experiment from 2010 to 2018, we investigated impact fertilizing on and species assembly species-rich twice-mown Dessau Elbe floodplain (Germany). The was composed unfertilized control, PK, N60, N60PK N120PK applications. A significant improvement achieved nitrogen fertilization only crude protein, higher feeding requirements sheep met individual years. legume cycle inhibited application high grass cover maintained, but not increased, at highest after exceptional summer flood. target forbs persisted numbers over study period all treatments. For cover, low-competitive responded neutrally fertilization, whereas detrimental effects were demonstrated competitive ones. Thus, recommend applying more than 60 kg year−1 combination phosphorus potassium.