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Felhagyott jószágállások növényzetének vizsgálata a Hortobágyi Nemzeti Parkban
21-27Views:139Extensive grazing, especially sheep grazing is the most important land use type in alkali grasslands of the Hortobágy National Park. Extensive grazing systems rely on some basic infrastructure, such as sheep corrals, wells and stables. Sheep corrals are characterised by intensive land use: grazing, trampling and manuring is concentrated in these places, thus the vegetation of actively used corrals is markedly different from the vegetation of extensively grazed grasslands. I studied the vegetation composition of eight-year-old and sixty-year-old abandoned sheep corrals and extensively grazed pastures in Hortobágy National Park. I recorded the percentage cover of vascular plants in twenty 2×2-m plots. The cluster analysis showed that the vegetation of abandoned sheep corrals was different from pastures. I found that the cover of annual and biennial species was higher, while the cover of perennials was lower in abandoned sheep corrals compared to the pastures. Due to the intensive land use in the past, the proportion of nitrophilous species was higher in sheep corrals, than in the pastures. The cover of competitors was lower, while the cover of disturbance tolerants, weeds and ruderal competitors was higher in sheep corrals than in the pastures. The results suggest that even grassland regeneration started in the sheep corrals and several target species established in the vegetation, the recovery of grasslands similar to extensively grazed pastures takes longer time.
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Grasslands owned or rented by sheep farmer sin the Great Hungarian Plain
39-43Views:131There have been some important changes in the land use and land possession during the last two decades. Land possession and land use were separated. Farmers typically work on rented lands all around Hungary and in the Great Plain too. The land market got frozen. During our survey we were looking for answers on the effect of transition caused to sheep branch and on the perspective the sheep farmers would have in the future. We found that the rate of rented lands was higher than the national average and the rate of rented grasslands was even more higher (75%) in the period 2003-2006. Farmers working on small lands and having low profitability (like sheep farmers) will have the worse chance to buy land after 2011, when the land market will be opened for foreigners. The land possession and the land use will be more separated for sheep farmers that reduces the viability of sheep farms. Due to the low profitability and the higher rental costs the native sheep population will decrease further. The sheep branch need a subsidy which is based on the breeding level and the bred utilization and also the SAPS or the SPS subsidy should be based on the livestock populations in case of grassland subsidy.
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Grasslands restoration opportunities in different habitats, with different grazing animals: Overview case studies III: Sheep pastures
47-52Views:375From a land-use perspective, sheep grazing is primarily justified on sites of lower soil productivity. This is due to the grazing behaviour of sheep, characterised by selective feeding and close cropping. Such grazing promotes the development of a diverse vegetation structure, which is of high conservation value. However, under prolonged overgrazing, undesirable plant species may proliferate within the sward. The present review seeks to identify, in general terms, which species tend to become dominant on sheep pastures and which species are likely to spread under intensive grazing. Investigations carried out across several Hungarian landscape types yielded comparable results. Under high grazing pressure, Lolium perenne, Cynodon dactylon and Hordeum hystrix typically became dominant. By contrast, under low grazing pressure, Festuca pseudovina was generally found to prevail.
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Effect of sheep grazing practices on the endoparasite population that can be recorded on grassland
17-23Views:527Sampling for the occurrence of internal parasites of sheep was carried out in three extensively cultivated Achilleo - Festucetum pseudovinae grass communities with different grazing systems but with the same site conditions, in 2022 - 2023, at the MATE Research Institute in Karcag, Hungary. The sheep grazing regimes studied were: pastoral grazing, rotational grazing, and permanent, delta - forest grazing used on all grazing days. Microscopic analysis of the genomes and numbers of potentially infective oviposition and L3 larval stage endoparasites in sheep pastures was carried out on samples of faecal matter from grazed pastures and grass samples prepared using a 'larval feeder'. Our research objective was to clarify the effect of different sheep grazing practices on parasite infestation in a semi - natural grassland community with a solonyec soil composition.
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The role of sheep grazing in nature reservation
95-100Views:154Economic and social changes in the last two decades reduced the grazing animal systems more or less to the nature reservation areas. The main objective of these grazing systems on these areas is the preservation of natural treasures herited from the past. Beside that, grazing systems have social (employment) and economic (production) roles as well in some areas of the country. In this paper connections between sheep grazing and the maintenance of different grassland associations of Hungary are investigated from the point of nature reservation friendly farming systems. In general sheep grazing have more positive effects on nature reservation grasslands than its negative effects. It is not difficult to identify the negative effects and to apply proper practical methods avoiding or reducing these effects. Sheep grazing is a proper tool to handle the fragmentation of some of the national grassland areas so it must be kept on as a critical method in the natura friendly farming practices.
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Grasslands restoration opportunities in different habitats, with different grazing animals. Overview case studies I: wooded pastures, deforestation: Áttekintő esettanulmányok I: fás legelők, erdőirtások
41-46Views:1242Since 1992, data on the vegetation of the various grasslands in the country have been collected continuously and in recent years the vegetation of these areas has been surveyed repeatedly to monitor changes. Our aim has been to identify the conservation values and grassland management values of grasslands grazed by different animals, grasslands and wooded pastures that have been planted or restored. In the Pannonian region, we have also carried out studies in lowland mid-range, hilly areas. Areas grazed by horses, Hungarian grey cattle, sheep, goats and domestic water buffalo. The results of grazing with different animals at several study sites have been monitored and have been continuously monitored since 1994. In this paper, a brief overview of the results of the conversion of wooded pastures and deforested areas to pasture is presented.
Results from three wooded pastures and one shrubland are summarised. Results from Hungarian grey cattle sheep and Hungarian domestic buffalo pasture are summarised. In all areas, grazing was successful in maintaining habitats. The maintenance of the scrub area and the preservation of its mosaicity were best ensured in the Hungarian grey cattle pasture. Sheep were responsible for maintaining the grassland vegetation. Water buffaloes ensured the maintenance of the pasture.
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Recent issues of animal welfare and health in sheep grazing
45-49Views:156This review paper presents an outlook on animal welfare measures and two potential sheep deceases with the objectives to assist sheep grazing farms in the region. Animal protection and welfare have been controlled by legal acts since 1978. Optimal animal keeping technologies, conditions of pain-free transport and slaughtering are described in specific acts and regulations, deviations from these conditions are fined. In the last decade special attention was paid to a couple of recent sheep deceases internationally: blue-tongue and scrapie. The scrapie, is not a recently recognized decease, but veterinary science turned towards it again as a consequence caused by the problem a cattle BSE decease. Fortunately, Hungary has been free from the scrapie for nearly 50 years. The bluetongue decease was taken to Hungary in 2008 from Western Europe with some imported animals. Strict animal health measures however made it possible for our country to get rid of this decease by now.
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Clarifying the effect of season on the early crop development of unconditionally grazed sheep
17-22Views:336The feasibility of first grazing of extensive sheep pastures was investigated by monitoring the height of grassland in the spring of 2022 and 2023 at the Karcag Research Institute, focusing on the effect of vintage in this manuscript. For 6 grassland plots with different parameters, potentially suitable for early spring sheep grazing, in a meadow on solonyec soil with no level of inputs due to environmental subsidies, we refined soil temperature, soil moisture and height of grassland vegetation at the same time of year. For both years, it was concluded that it is justified to start grazing sheep on the fallow grassland and the pasture forest.
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Investigation of early season phytoproduction in sheep pastures
3-7Views:489In the droughty spring of 2021, we investigated the rate of phytoproduction development in extensive grassland plots with solonyec soil conditions from the perspective of sheep grazing. During the empirical time interval of the start of potential sheep grazing, data were recorded on a total of 7 occasions at 6 different sites registered under one parcel number. Our results showed that the highest soil moisture values during the study period were measured in the fallow grassland, while the highest soil temperature values were measured in the grassland used as enclosed pasture. Plant height values were highest in the fallow grassland and in the grassland of the pasture forest. The lowest plant height was recorded in the enclosed pasture, although the highest nutrient availability was also measured here.
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The effect of sheep manure the yield of primary growth o fan extensive natural grassland
27-30Views:322An experiment with overriped sheep-manure was carried out to make the environmental protective technology of nutrition on a cut grassland in the Karcag Research Institute of University of Debrecen, CAS. Based on our research results gained from a 4 year field experiment of Alopecuretum pratensis grassland association we have concluded that the 20 t/ha overriped sheep-manure the was optimum rate most favourable from economical point of niev and for increasing the rate of clovers in the sward.
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The effect of overripe sheepmanure on the composition and the yield of first growth Alopecuretum pratensis grassland association
29-32Views:391An experiment with overripe sheep-manure was carried out to make the environmental protective technology of nutrition on a cut-utilized grassland in the Karcag Research Institute of University of Debrecen, CAS. Based on our research results gained from the experiment of the low input Alopecuretum pratensis grassland association we established 4 year old research, that the 20 t/ha dose overripe sheep-manure the most favourable economical point of niev and perspective to increase the cover rate of clovers.
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Investigations on grassland and nature reservation effect of horse grazing in Tapolca and Káli Basins (2008)
65-72Views:647Examined areas can be found in the Tapolca and Káli Basins near Köveskál and Nemesgulács. Near Köveskál 2 horses were grazed on a 1 ha grassland, which was on a degraded association of Cynodonti-Poëtum angustifoliae. Control area was found close to the grazed grassland where Salvinio-Festucetum rupicolae association was found. The grassland was grazed formerly by sheep. Near Nemesgulács 4 horses were grazed on a 6 ha pasture under free range grazing system (0.7 horse/ha) on a Cynodonti- Poëtum angustifoliae grassland that is situated on a slope. Sample areas were selected the upper (UTS) and lower (LTS) third of the slope. This area formerly was as vineyard. 5-5 replicates of 2 by 2 m coenological quadrates were monitored on each sample area. Sward composition was investigated by Braun-Blanquet method (1964) in the grazing season of 2008. Ground cover (D) species composition and species number (n) were evaluated as analytical parameters. Relative nitrogen demand (NB), social behavior types (SBT) (Borhidi, 1995) and nature conservation value categories (TVK) (Simon, 2000) were also analyzed. At the LTS of the slope near Nemesgulács we could find species with bigger proportions indicating nutrient rich production sites and N indicating Artemisia vulgaris, characteristic species of manured sites appeared, too. At the UTS their proportion was smaller. The reason for this difference is the nutrient run off the slope and its accumulation at the LTS. The reason for the low nutritive value of the grassland are the lack of valuable Poaceae and pulses species and the low total cover. Valuable plant species were grazed out of the sward and negative effects of trampling could have been observed. Concerning the selective grazing preference of horses, the species composition of this area is not suitable for horse grazing. Instead of horses the area could be more suitable for sheep grazing. Pasture near Köveskál had extremely high proportion of species requiring nutrient rich conditions that can be probably due to frequent depositions of excreta and urine by grazing horses. Both control and pasture areas has the highest (approx. 35% absolute) cover of natural species with disturbance tolerance. The biggest difference in nature conservation value categories was the decrease of association composing species on the pasture. This was mainly caused by the grazing out of Poa angustifolia that was the most valuable species in the association. Overgrazing and grazing method applied caused very low plant cover on the grazed pasture.
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Comparison of grasslands grazed by cattle, sheep and horses in Tapolca and Káli Basins
59-63Views:497Monitoring plots were in Káli and Tapolcai Basin, Balaton Upland National Park, Hungary. We investigated changes in species composition of 2-2 sheep, Hungarian Gray Cattle and horse pastures. The highest number of species was on the pastures of the Hungarian Gray Cattle. 41 species were common in each monitored plots, which are also important dominant species of natural associations and Poaceae species: Agrostis stolonifera, Festuca arundinacea, Deschampsia caespitosa, Lolium perenne, Bromus hordaceus subsp. hordaceus, Poa humilis, Alopecurus pratensis, Elymus repens, Dactylis glomerata, Poa angustifolia.
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Follow-up of the cover value of grassland plants with different light demand in different types of grassland
17-21Views:568Changes in the cover value of grassland species over a four-year period were investigated in terms of light requirements for grassland species under different management regimes (mowing, mulching, meadow management, overgrazing). The highest cover values of light-demanding grassland plants (Trifolium sp., Achillea sp., Plantago sp.), which are ecologically and economically valuable and typical for extensive grassland with a soil condition of Solonyec, managed by the MATE Research Institute Karcag, were measured under mowing and meadow utilization. The lowest cover values of light-demanding butterfly-flowering species were found in treatments covered with leafy phytomass and overgrazed with sheep. In the overgrazing treatment, we observed invasive emergence of the light-hungry Hordeum murinum, a potential threat to sheep welfare.
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Parasite control with Red Chicory extract
27-29.Views:618Authors conducted studies in 2021 at the sheep farm of Karcag Research Institute. Searching for methodologies to reduce endoparasitosis. Traditional medical application of weed roots, with a focus on tannin and inulin content were tested. Extracts from Cichorium intybus and Cichorium intybus var. foliosum were made and administered to infected ewes. Strongylus sp. eggs significantly reduced after treatment due to inulin and tannin content. Further experiments should be reveal whether dried or diluted extracts are more efficient.
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Investigation of the aftereffects of organic fertilization in a solonetz soil type in a near-natural grassland community
37-39Views:497In the autumn of 2021, we examined the residual effects of applied granular sheep manure in a saline habitat, transitional grass association, in the spring of 2024. Three years after the application of organic fertilizer doses (10-15-20 t/ha), we measured the dominance of Alopecuretum pratensis as the dominant grass species in the treatments, while in the control, Festuca pseudovina became the dominant associate. The composition of the plant community influenced yield levels, with the 20 t/ha manure treatment yielding 110.6% more than the control. In terms of species diversity, the treatments that received manure showed higher values.
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Impact of a change of use on extensive grassland yields
29-34Views:392The impact of converting overgrazed extensive grassland to mowing was investigated in Karcag between 2017 and 2020. At the beginning of the experiment, the plant composition of the overgrazed grassland community, which had been overgrazed for 3 years, showed a high and continuously increasing cover of unconditionally weeds avoided by sheep, which presented clearly higher quantitative indicators in terms of yield values. However, in the grassland communities that were converted to mowing, the cover of unconditioned weeds decreased steadily at the end of the experimental period and the cover value of grassland components valuable for animals increased, thus stopping degradation and recultivation by conversion was successful.
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Reed hay as a delicacy
3-8Views:462Comparison of yield and nutritional values of Phragmites communis and Festuca pseudovina main crops was carried out in 2022 in Karcag, in a meadow-solonyec soil condition.
In terms of yield indicators, the values for cane were demonstrably higher than for the concurrently mown lean bunchgrass in flowering phenophase.
The results of the nutrient analysis showed higher N, P, K, Zn and Mn contents in the cane than in the lean samples. However, in terms of Ca, Mg, Na, Cu and Fe contents, lean chenkase samples showed higher values than reed samples.
Of course, our results can only be considered as a first step in the refinement of the value metrics for perspective alternative fibre feeds -
Examination of coenological and grassland management of sheep- and cattle pasture in lands of Kiskunság
39-45Views:597The coenological relevés were prepared in 2007 and 2008 on two pasture-lands in the Great Hungarian Plain. areas situated inside and near (0 to 50 meters far from) an animal husbandry farm belong to the first group. Coenological relevés gained from areas situated 50 to 150 meters far from intensively used areas belong to the second group. Data evaluation was made with considering naturalness state in case of habitats, and on the other hand, according to relative ecological factors of occurring species. Primarily, degradation of areas could be experienced. These negative processes are extremely heavy inside and near the animal husbandry farm.
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Shall we graze?
36-39Views:170Since the end of the 18th century, since 1780, this question has been raised more and more frequently. At that time, an acknowledged authority wrote in his book that we should not graze and the number of those against grazing has been increasing since then. Nowadays many scientific popular and scientific articles are published against grazing.
This short summary examines the question from the aspect of the users and describes those obvious reasons which cannot be neglected. The herds of grazing animals were welcomed by the cities of western countries from Strasbourg to Venice because of their excellent meat quality. This export gave 70% of the country’s revenue.
For the above reasons, the answer to the question of the title is definitely yes!! -
Evaluation of pastures along the River Jaba (Ságvár): Papers presented at the „Timely questions in grassland and game management” scientific conference (Hungarian Academy of Sciences – Kaposvár University, 18-19 May 2006)
62-72Views:171The valley of the river Jaba and the hilly country of its small catchments area situated in Trans-Danube near the lake Balaton and plain of Mezőföld. It has not yet been discovered botanically till now in details. It proved to be poor of minerals and energy sources. There remained next-to-natural relic habitats under traditional land-use conditions because of its orographical, mineralogical and pedological properties.
The aim of the present study is counting of vascular plants and evaluating of steppe communities of Salvio-Festucetum rupicolae and Cynodonti-Poëtum angustifoliae from the point of view of nature conservation and utility for pasturing. -
Fajösszetétel és diverzitás változás kiskunsági száraz és nedves fekvésű legelőkön
15-30Views:744Investigations were carried out in wet – next to Tatárszentgyörgy, and dry grass pasture – next to Bugac, both located in Kiskunság, in the central region of Carpathian Basin. Recordings were taken every June of 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 from Tatárszentgyörgy – where cattle were grazed, and 1997, 2005 and 2010 from Bugac, where cattle and sheep were grazed. Coenological recordings were taken in three zones. The first zone ("A" zone) located 0-50 m near the stable, second zone ("B" zone) located 50-150 m from the stable, while the third zone ("C" zone) located farther then 150m from the stable. Analyses of ecological and environmental factors were based on Borhidi’s relative ecological indicators. Life form analyses were performed by Pignatti life form types. For statistical evaluation, R software was applied. Shannon diversity. Based on our results for both dry and wet grasslands, quadrates of "A" zone were well isolated from the rest of the zones. Overgrazing, which involves considerable trampling, vanishes differences among vegetations, thereby promotes weed and disturbance tolerant rich vegetation. The lowest species number and diversity could be found here. Recordings for "B" and "C" zones separated from recordings of "A" zone, furthermore, quadrates of wet and dry grasslands formed separate groups. From recordings of "B" and "C", zone perennial grass species (H caesp) and the emerging perennial (H wrap) species multiplied and these species were the indicators of grazing. The greatest lifeform richment were presented among "B" zone recordings. The amount of intensive grazing indicator species, such as creeping perennials (Hrep) was significant in "B" zone recordings of Tatárszentgyörgy. Grazing stabilised the local vegetation, but increased the ratio of disturbance tolerant species, which was confirmed by conservation evaluation. This is due to the conversion of grassland types, the transition from free grazing to switch grazing, which resulted in an intensive involvement of the more distant "C" zone as well. "A" zones fully converted; they changed into fully reliefs. Further located sample area vegetations were not homogenised by grazing and even helped the preservation of characteristic species. In the aspect of environmental protection, vigorous grazing led to a more valuable vegetation in "B" zone in an arid grassland (Bugac). According to the sample area, wet grasslands from the sandy areas of Kiskunság, preserve nature protection values and grass composition better moving away from stables, due to less grazing pressure. Drier backgrounds tolerate stronger grazing pressure (Bugac), while in case of wetter areas (Tatárszentgyörgy) – considering sustainability – grazing should be carried out with caution.
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Effect of organic fertilisation on yield and soil factor values of extensive grassland
23-28Views:377The effect of different rates of organic fertilizer was investigated on a natural grassland with solonyec soil conditions at the Karcag Research Institute in the second year after application. Of the mature sheep manure treatments applied at 0-10-15-20 t/ha, the 20 t/ha dose was shown to result in higher dry matter yields. In addition, the 20 t/ha dose of organic manure was shown to stimulate soil life, as supported by measurements of carbon dioxide emissions, and to help better conserve soil moisture.
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The role of grasslands in natural and farm-like game management: Papers presented at the „Timely questions in grassland and game management” scientific conference (Hungarian Academy of Sciences – Kaposvár University, 18-19 May 2006)
25-33Views:355This paper investigates the relationship between grasslands and game management. It focuses on three questions:
- grasslands as habitats for game,
- grasslands as sites for prolification,
- grasslands as sources of nutrition.
Five so-called big, and five so-called small game species were considered, based on my own research and a literature review. Main results and consequences:
- grasslands as ecosystems are more important in game management than as solely resources of nutrients,
- compared to their territorial proportions, grasslands play a 2-3 time grates role in game management,
- grasslands are more preferred on areas where vegetation types are frequently changing (a given vegetation occupies only a small area),
- there is a remarkable seasonality in grassland use of small game, spring being the peak season,
- classification of game considering grasslands as sources of nutrients:
I. grasslands are hardly eaten by: red deer, wild pig, wild ducks
II. grass is consumed, but it is not a main source of nutrients: for fallow deer
III. grass is consumed as frequently as other forages by roe deer, wild sheep
IV. grasslands are important feeding sites for pheasants, partridges
V. grass is the main forage for hares, wild ducks -
Degradation degree evolution under different grassland management
35-44Views:669The objective of this manuscript is to clarify the changes in vegetation structure of an extensively managed grassland association under different land use practices. In the grasslands of the Hungarian Great Plain, the westernmost part of the Eurasian steppe, the largely decreasing grazing livestock numbers and the almost disappearing pastoral grazing make the topic very topical. We analysed the last 4 years of the study period 2009-2020 and found that the lowest degradation rates were measured in the meadow utilisation management, with values ranging from 0.277-0.463 in the 11th year of the experiment. And the highest degradation values were measured in the treatment with the overgrazing mode, with degradation degrees 3.43-5.0 in the 11th year of the experiment. In the treatment demonstrating the effect of overgrazing, we measured a high increase in the cover value of the weed Hordenum murinum, which is very dangerous for sheep, between 2017 and 2020, with an average of 107.6%.