Melica uniflora Retz., commonly known as wood melick, is a grass species that is native to most of Europe. Melica uniflora grows in hardwood forests near Fagus species, providing vital food and shelter for forest wildlife. The nutritional status of wood melick is not sufficiently recognized. The study aims to identify the intrapopulation variability of Melica uniflora plants collected from natural forest habitats in Poland in terms of nutritional status variability in relation to stage development and the course of weather conditions. The research was conducted for two consecutive years: 2021 and 2022, in the area of the Ślęża Massif, near the town of Sobótka in Lower Silesia voivodeship (Poland). The material for analyses was collected from 10 natural forest sites twice: in July (I) and October (II). The content of nutritive components: crude protein (CP), crude ash (CA), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), acid detergent lignin (ADL), and water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC) was evaluated. Relative feed value (RFV), dry matter digestibility (DDM), dry matter intake (DMI), cellulose (CL), and hemicellulose (HCL) content were calculated based on ADF and NDF. Melica uniflora plants contained 75.2 g·kg⁻¹ DM of CP, 290.6 g·kg⁻¹ DM of CF, 120.0 g·kg⁻¹ DM of CA, and 25.9 g·kg⁻¹ DM of WSC. The content of NDF was 637.6 g·kg⁻¹ DM, ADF 407.5 g·kg⁻¹ DM, and ADL 58.0 g·kg⁻¹ DM. The nutritional status of wood melick depended on the course of weather conditions in the following years and its location, which changed during the growing season. Plants collected in the first year of the study contained more CL, NDF, and ADF fractions and less CA, ADL, and WSC. Melica uniflora plants harvested in June were characterized by higher CP (102.1 g·kg⁻¹ DM) and WSC (30.1 g·kg⁻¹ DM) content and lower content of remaining nutrients. It can be concluded that Melica uniflora plants can be a valuable source of these nutrients in the forage of forest animals.

Cool-season (C3) forage grasses are a cornerstone of temperate grassland systems, where improving productivity, nutritive value, and stress resilience is essential for sustainable forage production. In this context, plant growth-promoting microorganisms (PGPMs) have gained increasing attention as potential alternatives or complements to mineral and organic fertilization in grassland management. This review synthesizes current knowledge on the role of bacterial and fungal PGPM in enhancing the growth, nutrient use efficiency, and stress tolerance of C3 forage grasses, with particular emphasis on species of the genus Lolium. Available evidence indicates that PGPMs can substantially improve biomass production and plant performance under both optimal and stress conditions through a range of direct and indirect mechanisms. These include phytohormone production, nitrogen fixation, phosphate solubilization, as well as the activation of antioxidant defense systems and stabilization of plant water relations under stress. While Lolium perenne L. and Lolium multiflorum Lam. remain the most extensively studied model species, comparable growth-promoting responses have also been reported for Dactylis glomerata L., Festuca species, and Festulolium hybrids. Increasing attention is being directed toward bacterial and fungal endophytes, which may provide more persistent physiological benefits due to their close association with plant tissues. However, PGPM effects are often strongly species-, genotype-, and environment-dependent, particularly in complex grassland systems. Overall, PGPMs represent a promising tool for sustainable grassland management, although their effective application will require long-term field studies conducted under realistic meadow and pasture conditions.

Effective nutrient management in grassland ecosystems is essential for maintaining soil nutrient balance and ensuring high forage productivity. A field experiment was conducted between 2022 and 2024 on a permanent dry meadow at the Experimental Station in Poznań-Strzeszyn, western Poland. The trial, established in autumn 2021, was carried out under production conditions on large plots (140 m² each). Plots were assigned to different fertilisation regimes, varying in both type and dosage. The treatments included an unfertilised control, three levels of annual mineral NPK fertilisation (NPK1, NPK2, NPK3), three levels of annually applied farmyard manure (FYM1, FYM2, FYM3), and three levels of mineral and organic fertilisers applied every two years (NPK1/FYM1, NPK2/FYM2, NPK3/FYM3). Throughout the study, botanical composition, annual dry matter yield (DMY), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) content in the plant biomass were assessed. A simplified nutrient balance was calculated based on nutrient input from fertilisers and nutrient output with harvested yield. The average N balance across three years ranged from −12.17 kg N ha⁻¹ in control to +20.6 kg N ha⁻¹ in FYM3. For phosphorus, average balances ranged from −7.2 kg P ha⁻¹ in the control to +9.8 kg P ha⁻¹ in FYM3. In contrast, potassium balances were mostly negative: from −51.7 kg K ha⁻¹ in FYM1 to −7.4 kg K ha⁻¹ in NPK1. The most balanced nutrient budgets were observed under alternate NPK/FYM fertilisation, with moderate surpluses of N and P and a smaller K deficit compared to FYM applied alone. In contrast, inorganic and organic fertilisation applied separately resulted in greater nutrient surpluses or a pronounced potassium deficit. This study emphasises the importance of balanced nutrient management in permanent meadows, showing that moderate fertilisation strategies, such as alternating FYM and mineral NPK, can maintain productivity, and reduce environmental impacts. These findings provide a practical basis for developing sustainable grassland management practices under variable climatic conditions.

Biochar, a fine-grained porous material, exhibits properties that improve soil quality on agricultural land. Biochar, in combination with mineral fertilizers in perennial mixed crops, has so far not been studied for its effect on biomass production and feed value. The study, conducted in 2021 and 2022, aims to investigate the impact of different biochar application rates (alone and in combination with high and low NPK (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium) fertilizer dosages) on the yield and structural carbohydrate content in grass–legume mixtures. Thus, a two-factorial pot study consisting of 36 pots was established in 2021. The study was set up in a randomized block design with nine fertilization treatments in four replicates. The factors studied were the rate of biochar (0, 5, and 10 Mg ha⁻¹) and the rate of NPK mineral fertilizer application (0, 105, and 185 kg ha⁻¹). First, biochar was applied and then the grass–legume mixture was sown, consisting of Lolium perenne L., Festuca arundinacea Schreb., Dectylis glomerata L., Lolium multiflorum Lam., Phleum pratense L., Festuca rubra L., Festuca ovina L., Poa pratensis L., Trifolium repens L., and Medicago sativa L. In both years of the study, during the growing season, plant biomass was harvested three times to assess biomass production and structural carbohydrate content. In the collected samples, neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), and acid detergent lignin (ADL) were examined, and, based on these, dry matter digestibility (DDM), dry matter intake (DMI), and relative feed value (RFV) were calculated. Compared to the control, the biochar addition increased the biomass production by 6.7–14.4% in the first year and by 49–59% in the second year after application. The addition of biochar in combination with NPK fertilization caused an increase in biomass production—22–45% in the first year and 71–136% in the second year after application. The structural carbohydrate content in the mixture depended neither on the biochar dose nor on fertilization. On the other hand, the most significant differences for the studied parameters were observed due to different harvest dates.

Chlorophylls and carotenoids are key plant metabolites involved in photosynthesis, stress responses, and antioxidant activity. This study aimed to examine intrapopulation variability in Melica uniflora Retz. (wood melick), focusing on chlorophyll and carotenoid content in relation to the developmental stage and environmental conditions. Research was carried out over three consecutive years (2021–2023) in the Ślęża Massif near Sobótka, Lower Silesia, Poland. Leaf blades samples were collected annually from ten natural forest sites at two time points: summer (July) and autumn (October), and analyzed for chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and total carotenoids using spectrophotometry. Statistical analyses, including ANOVA, were used to assess the effects of year, harvest time, and site on pigment concentrations. The average (±SD) pigment content in M. uniflora was 1.44 ± 0.73 mg∙g⁻¹ DM for chlorophyll a, 0.67 ± 0.40 mg∙g⁻¹ DM for chlorophyll b, and 0.46 ± 0.28 mg∙g⁻¹ DM for total carotenoids. Among the factors studied, year and developmental stage had the strongest statistically significant influence on chlorophyll and carotenoid levels, while site-specific differences contributed to intrapopulation variability to a lesser extent (p < 0.001). Interestingly, the first year of the study showed higher average pigment levels across both harvest times. Summer-collected plants had higher concentrations of all pigments than those collected in autumn. Differences among sites further indicated intrapopulation variability within this species. These findings provide new insights into the natural variability of photosynthetic metabolites in forest grasses and may serve as a reference for studies on the adaptive and biochemical responses of woodland plant species to environmental factors.