Steadily rising pasture potash levels in spring grass year on year are likely to be depressing magnesium availability in the rumen, warns Rumenco technical manager David Thornton 

"Analysis of average potassium levels in spring grass reveals an upward trend, from 2.63%K in 2006, to 2.72% in 2007 and 2.85% in 2008. This is probably due to increased slurry applications rather than any extra usage of potash fertilisers, but the danger of magnesium 'lock up' and threat of grass staggers is very real this year," he says. 

Grassland ecosystems hold an important part of Europe's biodiversity. They offer ideal conditions for a vast diversity of habitats and species, are the source of a wide range of public goods and services, and also act as carbon 'sinks'. Changes in agricultural practices and land use pressures mean that grasslands are disappearing at an alarming rate. This brochure highlights a selection of LIFE co-funded projects targeting grassland ecosystems within the Natura 2000 network.

By Mair Morgan, ADAS

Thanks to the support of the British Grassland Societies 'Jan Crichton Travel Bursary' fund I travelled to the 22^nd European Grassland Federation general meeting held in Uppsala, Sweden in June 2008. The theme of the meeting was Biodiversity and Animal Feed - Future challenges for grassland production. This provided the opportunity to see what research is being carried out across Europe and further afield.

The 22^nd General Meeting of EGF, Uppsala, Sweden, June 2008

By Gordon Tiley

The 22^nd General Meeting of the European Grassland Federation was held at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala in association with the Swedish Grassland Society and included an address by the King of Sweden - himself a keen farmer

The meeting was attended by more than 460 participants from 41 countries, with a programme of 60 oral and 300 post papers contained in 5 main sections: