Limburg dairy farmer enthusiastic about herb-rich grassland pilot

In Vlodrop, Limburg, dairy farmer Maarten van Cruchten lives and works. He is one of the participants in the pilot project 'Green, productive and living Limburg', in which he investigates how a herb-rich grassland can help his business.

Yield potential

Naturerijk Limburg and consultancy Arvalis issued a call to Limburg farmers to test different aspects of nature-inclusive agriculture within their farms. Van Cruchten chose the herb-rich grassland, because he was impressed by the yield potential that can result from this. Planting other crops, especially in times of drought, can lead to more and more diverse food for his cows.

Times of drought

"I have good expectations of it. We are in a dry area here in Vlodrop. Our English ryegrass produces too little yield in periods of low precipitation, in my opinion. That is why I grow maize on top. You are always looking for ways to increase your yield. The pilot project offers the possibility of a mixture with a higher dry matter yield," says the dairy farmer.

To give the herbs a chance to survive in the winter, he has already sown them on his land. He added chicory and narrowleaf plantain in the hope of up to 10 per cent more dry matter yield. He also no longer uses fertilizer, which helps reduce costs.

Double goal

Maarten van Cruchten combines his financial goals with green considerations. We are already working with sowing red clovers in plots to bind nitrogen from the air. And the clover continues to grow during dry periods. It is therefore not only a financial, but also an environmental consideration to participate."

More information about participation in the pilot 'Green, productive and living Limburg' can be read here.

Source: New Harvest