Nitrogen fertiliser use on Swiss grassland

Nitrogen (N) fertilisation plays an important role in Swiss grasslands, not only as a production factor but also as an ecological criterion determining direct payments for farmers. N fertiliser use reflects this duality and the grassland-based milk production is influenced by the sustainable type of approach. For comparable milk yields per cow, 4-6 times less concentrate feed is used and 7-9 times less artificial N is applied per ha of forage land than in the main milk producing regions of Western Europe. Grassland fertilisation is based primarily on farm-produced slurry, which is carefully stored and spread on grassland. Consequently, the average N balance surplus (= risk for pollution) on intensive Swiss dairy farms is as low as 109 kg N/ha/year compared to over 400 kg in high input areas like The Netherlands. In good grass production regions in the Swiss lowlands, 20 kg DM could be gained per kg additional N. However, the permitted level of N use is low in Switzerland. In addition to the slurry N, only 25-50 kg artificial N/ha/year can be applied to grassland. The Swiss farmers receive high direct payments (about $NZ1000/ha) from the state for applying a strictly environmentally friendly farming system. Keywords: dairy farming, environment, grassland, nitrogen budget, nitrogen fertilisation, sustainable agriculture