The specialisation of agricultural systems in Western Europe and the intensification of livestock and cropping production are intrinsically linked to substantial resource inputs. This intensified approach frequently leads to nutrient surpluses and biodiversity loss, resulting in detrimental environmental impacts. A transformative agricultural shift is imperative in light of climate and environmental protection objectives. Addressing this need, the Lindhof eco‐efficient pasture‐based milk production initiative, initiated in 2016, is a tangible manifestation of a productive and profitable dairy system integrated within a ley‐based Integrated Crop‐Livestock System (ICLS). Operational at the organically managed Lindhof farm, this approach involves a rotational stocking system of spring‐calving Jersey cows stocked on grass‐clover‐herb leys embedded within a cash crop rotation. The dairy cows benefit from these highly productive swards, rich in nutritive value comparable to concentrate feeding. At the same time, the cultivated crops derive advantages from the legacy effect of leys due to nutrient exchange facilitated by grazing excreta and residual crop matter. Compared to specialised systems, the ley‐based ICLS emerges as an alternative dairy production paradigm that supports many ecosystem services – including minimised nutrient losses, a lower carbon footprint and positive contributions to agro‐biodiversity. These outcomes are realised without compromising overall land‐use efficiency while reducing environmental and social costs of 20–30 Eurocent per kg of milk produced compared to specialised systems. Thus, the ley‐based ICLS conforms to the principles of ecological intensification, enhancing functional diversity within the agricultural landscape. Essentially, the Lindhof initiative represents a holistic and environmentally responsible approach to farming that could contribute to realising the EU Farm to Fork Strategy.

Knowledge about pasture growth rates is crucial for optimizing forage use efficiencies in intensively managed pasture and silage-based dairy systems, enabling optimized cutting/grazing times for high yields with high forage quality. The aim of this study was to parameterise a simple model, GrasProg, for predicting pasture growth in an intensively managed dairy production system under a cut-and-carry management. For this, pasture crop-growth rates were measured over a period of two years (2016 and 2017) at five contrasting sites in Schleswig-Holstein, Northern Germany. The pastures received nitrogen (N) fertilizer at a rate of 280 kg N ha⁻¹ and were cut on a four-week interval. Average annual dry matter (DM) yields ranged from 10.9 to 11.6 t/ha for the three different locations. The DM accumulation simulated by GrasProg matched actual measurements over the varying intervals well (R² = 0.65; RMSE = 49.5 g DM m⁻²; and NSE = 0.44). Two model parameters were adjusted within the vegetation period, namely, the relative growth rate, a proxy of the number of generative tillers, and the initial biomass at the start of each growth period, a proxy for the tillering density. Both predicted and measured pasture growth rates showed the same typical seasonal pattern, with high growth rates in spring, followed by decreasing growth rates to the end of the vegetation period. These good calibration statistics, with adjusting of only two model parameters, for the different sites and different climatic conditions mean that GrasProg can be used to identify optimum grazing or cutting strategies, with optimal yield and forage quality.

High doses of nitrogen (N) fertiliser input on permanent pastures are crucial in terms of N surplus and N losses. Quantitative analyses of the response of plant functional traits (PFT) driving crop growth rate (CGR) under low N input are lacking in frequently defoliated pastures. This study aimed to understand the significance of PFTs for productivity and N uptake in permanent grasslands by measuring dynamics in tiller density (TD), tiller weight (TW), leaf weight ratio (LWR), leaf area index (LAI), specific leaf area (SLA), as well as leaf N content per unit mass (LNC_m) and per unit area (LNC_a) in perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne)-dominated pastures, in a simulated rotational grazing approach over two consecutive growing seasons. Annual N application rates were 0, 140 and 280 kg N ha⁻¹. The phenological development of perennial ryegrass was the main driver of CGR, N uptake and most PFTs. The effect of N application rate on PFTs varied during the season. N application rate showed the greatest effect on TD, LAI and, to a lesser extent, on SLA and LNC_m. The results of this study highlight the importance of TD and its role in driving CGR and N uptake in frequently defoliated permanent pastures.

The area adjacent to the milking parlor, accessible for grazing by lactating dairy cows (i.e., the grazing platform [GP]), can be limited on fragmented pasture-based dairy farms. Such farms, with a moderate overall farm stocking rate, typically have a much higher stocking rate of dairy cows on the GP. This study quantified the effects of farm fragmentation on milk and herbage production and profitability in a whole-farm systems-scale study over 3 yr (2017-2019). Four systems, each with an overall farm stocking rate of 2.5 cows/ha but with different grazing platform stocking rates (GPSR), were examined. The proportions of the overall farm area within the GP were 100%, 83%, 71%, and 63% in each of the 4 systems, respectively. Hence, the 4 systems had a GPSR of 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, and 4.0 cows/ha. The GP was used for grazing and silage (ensiled herbage) production, and the non-GP portion of each GPSR system was used solely for silage production. Concentrate supplementation per cow was the same across all GPSR systems; approximately 10% of the annual feed budget. All systems were compact spring-calving with 24 cows per system. We discovered a lower proportion of grazed herbage in the diet with higher GPSR. All silage produced on the non-GP areas was required to support higher GPSR on each of the systems. Annual herbage production and milk production per cow were not different between GPSR systems, resulting in similar milk production per hectare of the overall system area. The economic implications of different GPSR on fragmented farms were modeled in 2 scenarios: (1) quantifying the cost associated with different levels of farm area fragmentation; (2) investigating the optimum GPSR on fragmented pasture-based dairy farms, depending on variable criteria. A greater level of farm fragmentation lowered the profitability of pasture-based dairy production. Costs of production increased with higher GPSR and longer distances between GP and non-GP areas. At a fixed GP area, it was most profitable to increase GPSR up to 4 cows/ha on the GP when milk price was high, land rental price was low, and shorter distance existed between GP and non-GP areas.

A long grazing season improves the profitability of pasture-based dairy production. It can entail grazing under wet soil conditions and the risk of damaging swards. Housing cows either temporarily or completely while soil moisture is high can avoid damaging swards. An experiment with 4 grazing systems was conducted over 3 yr (Sep. 1, 2013, to Aug. 31, 2016). The purpose was to evaluate whether soil moisture measurements are an effective decision support to assess the risk of treading damage and effects on pasture productivity and dairy cow performance during wet soil conditions. Access time to pasture between February and December of each grazing season was dependent on volumetric soil moisture content (VSMC, m(3)/m(3)) measured each morning: Control = cows were housed at VSMC >0.5 and otherwise allowed 22 h/d access to pasture; S0.7 and otherwise allowed 22 h/d access to pasture; S7-6 = cows were housed at VSMC >0.7 and allowed 8 h/d access to pasture at VSMC between 0.7 and 0.6 and 22 h/d access at VSMC <= 0.6; S7-5 = cows were housed at VSMC >0.7 and allowed 8 h/d access to pasture at VSMC between 0.7 and 0.5 and 22 h/d access at VSMC <= 0.5. Cows with 8-h access per day received no other feeding when housed. All herds were compact spring-calving, with a mean calving date of Feb. 19. Mean stocking rate was 2.57 cows/ha. Measurements of VSMC provided an objective indicator for the risk of treading damage. Less time spent at pasture under wet soil conditions lowered treading damage but had no effect on annual pasture production (mean 14.8 t of organic matter/ha). Annual milk solids production per cow was lowest for the control herd (485 kg) and not different between the other systems (503 kg). Reducing treading damage to swards did not improve productivity or profitability of the grazing systems. Nevertheless, measuring soil moisture was a useful decision support for assessing the risk of treading damage when turning cows out to pasture.

A longer grazing season can lower the costs of pasture-based dairy production. Accumulating herbage during autumn increases herbage mass available for grazing in late autumn and the following spring but results in higher pre-grazing herbage mass (PGHM). This could affect sward nutritive value and milk production. The effects of accumulating herbage during autumn on the length of the grazing season, nutritive value, milk production and the supply of herbage mass in the following spring (opening) were examined at systems scale in this study. The dataset was 60 grazing systems from systems comparisons conducted between 2001 and 2018 with spring-calving dairy herds (mean stocking rate 2.4 cows ha⁻¹) at Solohead Research Farm, Ireland. Herbage mass accumulated per system was measured as average herbage mass (AHM; herbage mass >4 cm; average of all paddocks). A higher PGHM (1,783 vs. 1,445 kg dry matter [DM] ha⁻¹, p < 0.001, standard error of the mean [SEM] 32.5) and peak AHM (highest AHM; 1,345 vs. 1,139 kg DM ha⁻¹, p = 0.002, SEM 39.2) during late summer and autumn (1 August to end of grazing season [closing]) did not affect herbage nutritive value or milk production (p > 0.05). Each increase in peak AHM of 100 kg DM ha⁻¹ increased days at pasture per cow in late summer and autumn by 2.2 ± 0.44 (p < 0.001, partial R² = 0.46) and increased closing AHM by 46 ± 6.5 kg DM ha⁻¹ (p < 0.001, partial R² = 0.42). Opening AHM in February increased with closing AHM (p < 0.001, R² = 0.41). Accumulating herbage during late summer and autumn facilitated a longer grazing season while not impacting on milk production.