Measurement methods on pastures and their use in environmental life-cycle assessment

Grassland agriculture plays an important role for livestock production and land management throughout the world. It is challenging to estimate the available feed on pasture plots. For this study, a rising plate meter was calibrated in swards of the organic experimental station of Trenthorst in northern Germany to calculate grazing intake of cattle and to determine biomass regrowth. A LCA-model (FARM) that was used to calculate the global warming potential (GWP) of milk of the station showed that substituting grass silage by grazing reduces the GWP per kilogram energy-corrected milk by 1.5 %. High differences of dry matter intake that were found between the plots indicate a potential for improving the grazing management and hence for further reducing the GWP of milk production.