In the Netherlands, grasslands and dairy farming are strongly linked. The area of grassland has fluctuated between 900,000 and 1 million hectares for years, making it the crop with the largest acreage in the Netherlands. Grasslands fulfil various societal functions. These functions are also referred to ecosystem services. Food production is the first and most important societal function of grasslands. Grazing is also an important function. In addition to high-quality roughage and grazing, other functions play a role like biodiversity, carbon storage in the soil, reduction of emissions and a beautiful landschape.
How can grasslands be optimally managed and used, in order to create value for the farmer and for the society? This is what the practically oriented research of the Grasslands and Grazing professorship focuses on. We investigate technical and socio-economic aspects of grasslands and grazing together with students, teachers, cattle farmers and industry. And we do this via three tracks:
- How can grazing cattle be optimally used to provide various ecosystem services?
- What possibilities can we develop for farmers to optimize grassland management?
- How can we better valorise the various functions of grasslands?
Connection with education
- Strong link with the minor Feed and Crop.
- Organization of various activities, including events for teachers in green education (secondary vocational education and universities of applied sciences).
Projects
Some examples of projects in which the professorship has participated over the past few years are:
- Knowledge for Grasslands and Grazing
- Pathways
- Inno4Grass
- Insects as indicators of biodiversity
- Working Group 'Grazing' of the European Grassland Federation
