Research projects

    Species and variety screening of grasses, herbs and legumes

    Herndl Markus, Dr.

    Dr. Markus Herndl

    Soil Science and Lysimetry Department, Head of the Eco-Efficiency Research Group

    Species and variety screening of grasses, herbs and legumes as a basis for grassland management on dry sites

    The permanent grassland in Austria, especially in the inner Alpine area, consists primarily of species-rich plant communities. The composition of these communities usually depends on water and nutrient availability and ranges from the species community of dry grasslands to the plant community of economic grassland.

     Essentially, permanent grassland is made up of three taxonomic groups: grasses, herbs and legumes. The ability of plants to absorb resources such as water, nutrients and light and to convert them into growth and development characterizes the competitive strength of a plant in permanent grassland.

    The objectives of the project on the suitability of grass, herb and legume species for grassland management on dry sites are:

    1. to describe the differences in the most important development stages of grasses, herbs and legume species and varieties in a drought stress-induced variant and an irrigated variant in a greenhouse experiment
    2. To determine the root weight at different depths of the different variants in the vessel test in order to compare the depth-dependent root distribution
    3. to quantify the ratio of root to shoot mass in order to determine the influence of root depth distribution on yield under dry conditions and to be able to make comparisons across species/varieties
    4. to determine and evaluate key figures on the competitive strength of the individual species/varieties on dry sites from existing field tests

     

    The results of the studies can be useful in grassland management in a wide variety of areas. They can be used in the mixture composition of species/varieties in the reseeding area in drought-damaged grassland areas but can also be used for questions regarding erosion protection in landscaping. The findings can make a significant contribution to the adaptation of plants to climate changes, such as adaptation to drought stress.