Silvopastoral systems for dairy cows

Background and Objective

Agroforestry systems in general and silvopastoral systems in particular, i.e., the combination of trees and grazing animals on arable land and grassland, are discussed as a strategy to compensate GHG emissions from production by acting as a sink for carbon in agricultural systems. At the same time, they can serve as a climate adaptation strategy by mitigating the effects of drought and heat on animals and production systems. Through shading and changing wind conditions, the evapotranspiration of grass swards can be reduced, thereby counteracting yield losses and feed shortages during drought periods. Additionally, improved environmental conditions (shade, microclimate) are created for keeping different farm animal species. Trees can also serve as a supplementary feed source, generate ecosystem services (e.g., through C storage and habitats for biodiversity), and create additional market value for farms.
There is a significant research need in the area of agroforestry and silvopastoral systems, as only a few systems exist and no long-term studies are available. Additionally, investigations into interactions between tree-plant-animal systems have so far been limited to two-dimensional considerations. Planting trees on grazed areas therefore offers extensive opportunities to address numerous questions about sustainable land use systems and should serve as a basis and infrastructure to enable long-term implementation of research approaches in this area.

The goal of the project is to establish tree plantings on grazing areas for cattle to address many design and utilisation questions. The focus is on the effect of tree shading on grazing animals and grassland. Additionally, technical issues in the area of system design and maintenance will be addressed, from which practical recommendations for the establishment of silvopastoral systems can be derived.

Approach

The experimental farm has various plantings, hedgerows, established forage hedges, individual trees on grassland areas, strip-shaped short rotation plantations, orchards, and forest edge areas. However, the existing trees, especially the forage hedges on the cattle pastures, currently do not provide sufficient shade or research opportunities for the mentioned questions. Furthermore, the welfare of grazing animals is already endangered by generally rising summer temperatures and more frequent, stronger heatwaves. Therefore, initial planning for a silvopastoral system on the dairy cow pastures was implemented in autumn/winter 2024. In cooperation with the Institute for Wood Research, a strip system consisting of various high-value trees (hybrid walnut, hedge maple, alder and hedge birch) combined with fast-growing poplars was planted on two pasture areas. Two different tree protection measures are also being tested there. The areas will be grazed by cattle for the first time during the 2025 grazing season.

Our Research Questions

• How do the trees influence grassland yield performance, seasonal yield distribution, stand composition, feed quality, and humus formation?
• Is the chosen planting design suitable for dividing pasture areas for the allocation of grazing feed?
• Which tree protection measures are best suited for plantings on cattle pastures?