Evaluation of horse farmers knowledge and attitude towards grassland management

Transcription

1 Evaluation of horse farmers knowledge and attitude towards grassland management Anja Schmitz & Johannes Isselstein Georg-August-University Goettingen DNPW, Grassland Science [1] 1

2 Background Equine sector increasingly contributes to utilization of (less productive) grasslands: ~ 5.5 Mio. horses (FAO, 2016) ~ 1.3 Mio horses (FN, 2018) ~ % share of grasslands (Ger) (Schmitz & Isselstein, 2018) Potential to enhance or preserve high value natural environments? 2

3 Background 3

4 Background [2] special and distinct grazing impact insufficient improve pastoral knowledge of the horse owners unfavourable grazing practices (i.e. overstocking) Jouven et al

5 Background Horse farmers who are they? different product, different performance, different aims and needs, different education, [2] [3] different way and status of grassland management? Diverse farming system [6] [7] [4] [5] 5

6 Study on horse farmers in Germany Online-survey in Germany in 2017 ~ 700 horse farmers participated 1. How is grassland used by horse farmers? 2. What is their attitude towards grassland management? 3. How do they get grassland-specific education? 4. Do they request a better knowledge transfer? 6

7 Grassland utilization small farm size potential: landscape mosaic relatively extensive land-use variability!! Tab. 1: Descriptive statistics of farm structure data professional (N = 207) hobby (N= 487) mean min. max. sd. mean min. max. sd. Number of horses 17, ,8 4, ,9 Grassland for horses (ha) 10, ,9 3,3 0 40,0 4,0 LU ha -1 2,2 0,2 12,7 1,9 1,9 0,2 15,1 1,5 7

8 Grassland utilization < 90% implement grazing Why do you implement grazing in your farm? * 00% 20% 40% 60% 80%100% mainly to provide forage locomotion, little forage social interaction environmental stimuli professional hobby [3] Importance of grazing: Importance of animal welfare! [3] 8

9 "Horse farmers are playing and important role for grassland and it's biodiversity." paddocks are supporting a good farm image paddocks provide forage Attitude A sophisticated grassland management is important because grasslands absolutely right right partly wrong absolutely wrong [4] provide forage. hobby professional 50% 54% 23% 26% 18% 13% 7% 6% [5 support a good farm image. hobby professional 24% 39% 28% 23% 36% 19% 15% 5% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% "Horse farmers are playing an important role for grassland and it's biodiversity. hobby 34% 37% 25% 4% professional 33% 32% 27% 7% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 9

10 Education and knowledge Importance of consulting and valuable information Further education : 76% professional, 64% hobby Professional education * Information ressources *: [6] 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 00% magazines other farmers internet/social media workshops spec. books chambers of agriculture priv. consulting professional hobby 00% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% * Multiple answers possible 10

11 Knowledge transfer Knowledge transfer is requested! Horse farmers are inquisitive!! In general, horse farmers education and knowledge in grassland management should be improved" hobby professional 52% 52% 37% 32% 11% 14% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% absolutely right right partly wrong Would you personally like to learn more on sustainable grassland management? Professional: 90,3% Hobby: 92,4% Important issues * pasture management Forage quality horses and fructanes seed mixtures for horses nutrition biodiversity and nature hobby professional 00% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 11

12 Conclusion 1. Grassland utilization Average: Relatively extensive, small farm size Variability! Farm-specific grassland management! Aim: healthy horse, not maximising yield/xp/profit 2. Education Little grassland-specific education Importance of further education, extension 3. Attitude Importance of grazing! Focus more on animal welfare than forage Aware of their ecological potential 12

13 Conclusion 4. Improved knowledge transfer is the key to improve ecological value. Task: Better and specific consulting for horse farms based on horse-specific research. One s eyes are opened in the presence of knowledge You only see what you know [7] J.W. von Goethe 13

14 Click Thanks to edit Master for your title style attention. We are greatful for financial support by BMBF within the framework of FoLL. We thank our FoLL-students Celine Brinsa, Joyce Dingfeld, Julia Florek, Cecilia Hüppe, Julius Maulhardt and Claus Recktenwald. We thank all participating farmers, magazines as well as institutions (VfD, FN) who helped to spread our survey! 14

15 Backup 15

16 Grassland Click to edit management Master title style Fertilization: 70% of farmers fertilize their grasslands How do you determine amount of fertilizer? "role of thumb" analysis of plant available nutrients 00% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 16

17 Grazing system 80% 60% 40% 20% 00% professional hobby continuous rotational strip 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 00% 59% 56% 50% 42% 34% 26% 32% 69% 35% sport leisure breed continuous rotational strip * Multiple answers possible mainly foraging locomotion, little forage social interaction environmental stimuli 00% 50% 100% sport leisure breed 17

18 Grassland Click to edit management Master title style Measures * none control for poisonous plants herbicides reseeding remove excreta topping mulch drag Hobby Erwerb 00% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% Intensity of grassland improvement measures 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 05% 00% erwerb hobby 18

19 Back-Up: Education 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% agriculture horse specific none (agr. or horse) 10% 00% sport leisure breed 19

20 How would you estimate your own state of knowledge? 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 00% very good good average low very low professional hobby 20