economic analysis, economy, fertilization, grasslands, haymaking, lowinput production systems, production costs, profitability, semi-natural grasslands
Abstract
Ecological management of semi natural grassland was evaluated in three-year long vegetative cycle in locality Chvojnica (Strážovská vrchovina). Experimental treatments were studied in variant 1- unfertilized, variant 2 – 30 kg*ha-1 of P and 60 kg*ha-1 of K, treatment 3 – PK + 90kg*ha-1 of N. Vegetation in all treatments of fertilization was cut three times in haymaking time of ripening. The aim of research was to find changes in phytocenology, production, nutrition and economy under different treatments of fertilization, cutting and experimental years. In the structure of semi natural grass vegetation, grasses dominated in the first cuttings, clovers dominated in the second cuttings and other meadow herbs dominated in the third cuttings. Application of fertilizers increases production of dry mass. Non fertilized grass vegetation produced 3.43 – 5.16 t*ha-1 of dry mass, vegetation with added PK fertilizers 4.71 – 5.91 t*ha-1 of dry mass and vegetation 7.12 – 7.97 t*ha-1 of dry mass. Costs per 1 ha and 1 ton of hay and sales per 1 ha increased in the following sequence: var. 1 ? var. 2 ? var. 3. As for the profit, the most effective variants were variant 1 (256.79 EUR per ha) and variant 3 (227.34 EUR per ha). The least effective variant was the variant fertilized by PK (180.62 EUR per ha).
