Multispecies grasslands produce more yield from lower nitrogen inputs across a climatic gradient

High-yielding forage grasslands frequently contain low species diversity and receive high inputs of nitrogen fertilizer. To investigate multispecies mixtures as an alternative strategy, the 26-site international LegacyNet experiment systematically varied the diversity of sown grasslands using up to six high-yielding forage species (grasses, legumes, and herbs) managed under moderate nitrogen inputs. Multispecies mixtures outyielded two widely used grassland practices: a grass monoculture with higher nitrogen fertilizer and a two-species grass-legume community. High yields in multispecies mixtures were driven by strong positive grass-legume and legume-herb interactions. In warmer sites, the yield advantage of legume-containing multispecies mixtures over grass monocultures with higher nitrogen fertilizer inputs increased. Improved design of grassland mixtures can inform more environmentally sustainable forage production and may enhance adaptation of productive grasslands to a warming climate.

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Publication Details

Journal
Science
Published
2025-12-04
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1126/science.ady0764
Citations
3
Primary Topic
Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
6.94
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article

Multispecies grasslands produce more yield from lower nitrogen inputs across a climatic gradient

Jacob M. Jungers, T. Moloney, Ieviņa Stūrīte, Ralf Loges et al.
3 citations
Science
Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
6.94
article

Multispecies grasslands produce more yield from lower nitrogen inputs across a climatic gradient

Jacob M. Jungers, T. Moloney, Ieviņa Stūrīte, Ralf Loges, John A. Finn, Jessica O’Malley, Caroline Brophy, Gaétan Louarn, Carsten S. Malisch, Diego Ábalos, Feng Zhu, Paul R. Adler, Т. Martijn Bezemer, Åshild Ergon, G. Peratoner, Olivier Huguenin‐Elie, Marie‐Noëlle Thivierge, Nyncke J. Hoekstra, Julie Lajeunesse, A. Lüscher, C.K. Reynolds, Sebastian T. Meyer, Rishabh Vishwakarma, Barbara Golińska, Matthias Suter, Jingying Jing, J. Hakl, Yingjun Zhang, Guylain Grange, Alistair Black, Ali S. Khan
article en
3 citations

Abstract

High-yielding forage grasslands frequently contain low species diversity and receive high inputs of nitrogen fertilizer. To investigate multispecies mixtures as an alternative strategy, the 26-site international LegacyNet experiment systematically varied the diversity of sown grasslands using up to six high-yielding forage species (grasses, legumes, and herbs) managed under moderate nitrogen inputs. Multispecies mixtures outyielded two widely used grassland practices: a grass monoculture with higher nitrogen fertilizer and a two-species grass-legume community. High yields in multispecies mixtures were driven by strong positive grass-legume and legume-herb interactions. In warmer sites, the yield advantage of legume-containing multispecies mixtures over grass monocultures with higher nitrogen fertilizer inputs increased. Improved design of grassland mixtures can inform more environmentally sustainable forage production and may enhance adaptation of productive grasslands to a warming climate.

ScienceVol. 391(6781)
Leiden University (NL), University of Minnesota (US), Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (CA), United States Department of Agriculture (US), Teagasc - The Irish Agriculture and Food Development Authority (IE), Lincoln University (NZ), Aarhus University (DK), Trinity College Dublin (IE), Czech University of Life Sciences Prague (CZ), Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften Kiel (DE), Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel (DE), Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement (FR), Center for Agricultural Resources Research (CN), Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NL), Forestry Research Centre (IT), Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology (CN), Louis Bolk Instituut (NL), Agroscope (CH), Unité de Recherche Pluridisciplinaire Prairies et Plantes Fourragères (FR), Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NO), Federal Office for Agriculture (CH), Institute for Sustainability (GB), China Agricultural University (CN), Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NO), University of Life Sciences in Poznań (PL), Technical University of Munich (DE), University of Reading (GB), Waterford Institute of Technology (IE)
Openalex Percentile: Top 3%
Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
6.94
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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