In June 2025, we conducted a survey on the grasslands of the southern part of the
Pivška Intermittent Lakes Park, with the aim of evaluating the quantity and quality of
fodder from karst meadows on three cattle farms (Penko, Česnik, Živec), obtaining
data on land, animals, KOPOP measures on grassland and soil nutrient supply. The
farms manage 79.2 ha (Penko), 20.9 ha (Česnik) and 17.8 ha (Živec) of grassland, on
which they have 5 to 7 different nature conservation measures applied. On each farm,
we selected five plots on which only mowing takes place and carried out herbage
sampling. The farmers do not fertilize the selected plots, with the exception of plot 1
of the Živec farm, which is fertilized with manure in the spring. The grassland on the
Česnik farm is mowed once a year, and on the other two farms, with the exception of
plot 1 of the Penko farm, it is mowed twice a year. The average yield of herbage was
13.3 t/ha on the Penko farm, 13.6 t/ha on the Česnik farm and 13.7 t/ha on the Živec
farm. The highest average crude protein (CP) content was on the Penko farm,
amounting to 91 g CP/kg DM (range 67 g to 128 g/kg DM), followed by the Živec
farm with 87 g CP/kg DM (range 75 g to 108 g/kg DM) and the Česnik farm with 79 g
CP/kg DM (range 70 g to 95 g/kg DM). The average crude fiber (SVI) content was
highest on the Česnik farm, amounting to 352 g SVI/kg DM (range 340 g to 369 g/kg
DM), and consequently the net energy for lactation (NEL) was also the lowest, namely
4.68 MJ/kg DM (range 4.53 g to 4.98 g/kg DM). On the Penko farm, the average crude
fiber content was 345 g SVI/kg DM (range 305 g to 374 g/kg DM) and NEL 4.92
MJ/kg DM (range 4.64 to 5.31 g/kg DM), and on the Živec farm it was 316 g SVI/kg
DM (range 267 g to 351 g/kg DM) and NEL 5.28 MJ/kg DM (range 4.98 g to 5.72
g/kg DM).
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