title: An overview on the role and potential of forage production on lowland organic livestock farms
creator: Weller, Richard F
creator: Jones, Evan L
subject:  Pasture and forage crops
subject:  Crop combinations and interactions
subject: Farm nutrient management
description: This report was presented at the UK Organic Research 2002 Conference of the Colloquium of Organic Researchers (COR).  This paper outlines some of the factors influencing the level of forage production on organic lowland farms. Optimal forage production is achieved by maintaining soil fertility, providing a balance between N-fixing and N-demanding crops and producing sufficient quantities of quality feed to meet the requirements of the organic livestock enterprise. A key objective for organic systems is to increase the efficiency of forage production by improving the nutrient input/output balance of the wholefarm system. Improving forage quality reduces the requirement for external feed sources, leading to increased self-sufficiency in the wholefarm system. Legumes provide the main source of nitrogen for forage production with energy shortage and an erratic supply of protein the main limiting factors in the provision of balanced diets from home-grown crops.
publisher: Organic Centre Wales, Institute of Rural Studies, University of Wales Aberystwyth
contributor: Powell, Jane
contributor: et al., 
date: 2002
type: Conference paper, poster, etc. 
type: NonPeerReviewed
format: application/pdf
identifier: http://orgprints.org/8297/1/weller_Forage_lowland_farms.pdf
identifier: Weller, Richard F and Jones, Evan L (2002) An overview on the role and potential of forage production on lowland organic livestock farms. UK Organic Research 2002 Conference, Aberystwyth, 26-28 March 2002. In: Powell, Jane and et al., (Eds.) Proceedings of the UK Organic Research 2002 Conference, Organic Centre Wales, Institute of Rural Studies, University of Wales Aberystwyth, pp. 81-84.
relation: http://orgprints.org/8297/