Root production is determined by grazing induced patchiness in temperate low-input semi-natural grassland irrespective of grazing intensity

• Applicant: Dr. Martin Komainda
• Subject Area: Plant Cultivation, Plant Nutrition, Agricultural Technology
• Term: since 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 467394361

The project expects to advance the knowledge of patch-specific within pasture variability on the above- and belowground net primary production and its turnover to obtain precise estimates of processes involved in topsoil soil carbon cycling in extensive grassland. It expects advancement in methodological aspects of root and turnover assessments and to provide transfer function between in situ observations and actual carbon input. It further expects to advance knowledge of machine learning assisted image processing of root observations. The planned work aims to provide a basis for understanding, which will be deepened in possible follow-up projects in other long-term experimental platforms under varying environmental conditions. In particular, the DFG-funded biodiversity exploratories (Socher et al., 2013) as well as the oldest long-term grazing experiment in Europe 'Oldrichov' in the Czech Republic (Pavlu et al., 2006) would be points of contact for follow-up phases.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants