In autumn last year and again in April this year, we established experimental grass margins in four regions in cooperation with VIN AGRO s.r.o. and other farmers. These strips were sown to divide large arable fields and are composed of several segments, each testing one of six different seed mixtures suitable for creating long-term grassy-flowering strips. The seed mixes were designed to represent a gradient in the proportion of grasses and forbs, as well as overall plant species diversity. We are interested in how these mixtures will support biodiversity of pollinators and arthropods bounded on vegetation over the coming years, and how the plant composition — including weed development — will evolve. We are also testing how best to manage these strips in the long term to maximise biodiversity benefits while minimising weed issues. In early July, we completed the first round of data collection, followed by management interventions in the monitored margins (mowing/mulching).
Supported by the project: Rationalization of agricultural landscapes to combine production functions with efficient biodiversity support (QL24010300).
