Fast restoration of grassland vegetation by a combination of seed mixture sowing and low-diversity hay transfer

Published source details Török P., Miglécz T., Valkó O., Kelemen A., Tóth K., Lengyel S. & Tóthmérész B. (2012) Fast restoration of grassland vegetation by a combination of seed mixture sowing and low-diversity hay transfer. Ecological Engineering, 44, 133-138.
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This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

	Action	Category
	Transfer plant material from intact grassland alongside seeding/planting Action Link

Transfer plant material from intact grassland alongside seeding/planting

A replicated, randomized, controlled study in 2008–2011 in three former arable fields in east Hungary (Török et al. 2012) found that transferring hay alongside sowing seeds led to an increase in the number and cover of target plant species and a decrease in weed species compared to sowing seeds without hay. During three years after sowing seeds, plots with hay added had a greater number and cover of target plant species than plots with no hay added (data reported as statistical model results). The opposite was true for weed species. In October 2008, three fields were prepared (by disking and smoothing) and sown with seeds of Festuca pseudovina at a rate of 20 kg/ha. Following sowing, two 15 x 15 m plots were randomly selected within each field. Hay (from a species-poor native grassland) was spread over one plot/field to a thickness of 5 cm, while the other plot had no hay added. All plots were mown annually. Vegetation was monitored once/year in eight 1-m² quadrats randomly placed within each plot in 2009–2011.

(Summarised by: Anna Berthinussen)