Papers by Friedhelm Taube
Journal of Applied Ecology, 2016
Summary Overgrazing has resulted in widespread decline in biodiversity and ecosystem functioning ... more Summary Overgrazing has resulted in widespread decline in biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in grasslands world‐wide in recent decades. However, few studies have examined the patterns and thresholds of grazing‐induced changes in community structure and ecosystem functioning along a grazing gradient and based on species‐level responses and plant functional traits. To identify the thresholds of grazing intensity (GI) at both species and community levels, we conducted a grazing manipulation experiment with seven levels of GI (0–9 sheep ha−1) and two topographies (flat vs. slope) in a typical steppe. Four plant functional traits were measured, including specific leaf area (SLA), plant height, leaf nitrogen content (LNC) and stem: leaf ratio. The threshold of GI that significantly altered community composition was at 3·75 sheep ha−1 for the flat system and 3·0 sheep ha−1 for the slope system. For both flat and slope systems, the threshold GI for changes in primary productivity was a...
Critical reviews in food science and nutrition, Jan 5, 2017
The co-existence approach of GM crops with conventional agriculture and organic farming as a feas... more The co-existence approach of GM crops with conventional agriculture and organic farming as a feasible agricultural farming system has recently been placed in the center of hot debates at the EU-level and become a source of anxiety in developing countries. The main promises of this approach is to ensure "food security" and "food safety" on the one hand, and to avoid the adventitious presence of GM crops in conventional and organic farming on the other, as well as to present concerns in many debates on implementing the approach in developing countries. Here, we discuss the main debates on ("what", "why", "who", "where", "which", and "how") applying this approach in developing countries and review the main considerations and tradeoffs in this regard. The paper concludes that a peaceful co-existence between GM, conventional, and organic farming is not easy but is still possible. The goal should be to impleme...
Umweltwissenschaften und Schadstoff-Forschung
ZusammenfassungZiel und Hintergrund Nachdem im 1. Teil die Systematik des Bewertungsmodells von B... more ZusammenfassungZiel und Hintergrund Nachdem im 1. Teil die Systematik des Bewertungsmodells von Busch et al. (2002) behandelt und kritisch diskutiert wurde, soll in diesem 2. Teil am Beispiel „Bt-Mais“ das Bewertungsmodell selbst überprüft werden; denn es ist auf die Bewertung von Fallbeispielen angelegt, sodass aus der Leistungsfähigkeit einer fallbezogenen Bewertung auf die Validität des Modells geschlossen werden kann.SchwerpunkteAusgehend vom Begriff der guten fachlichen Praxis (GFP) wird das Thema Bt-Mais unter einem breiteren Blickwinkel diskutiert, der vor allem (auch) die Genese der Problematik berücksichtigt, die zur Entwicklung dieser genmanipulierten Sorte führte. Dabei wird deutlich, dass die Problematik des Schädlings Maiszünsler, die zur Entwicklung von GGT-Ansätzen führte, wesentlich durch eine Nichteinhaltung der GFP befördert worden ist und mithin „systemimmanent“ ist.Ergebnisse und Schlussfolgerungen Ein Bewertungsmodell für neue Technologien in der Landwirtschaft im Allgemeinen und für GGT-Ansätze im Speziellen sollte im Sinne eines holistischen Ansatzes weiter gefasst werden, als dies in der Studie der Fall ist. Das Bewertungsmodell von Busch et al. (2002) scheint uns – zumindest bezogen auf das zentrale Praxisbeispiel Bt-Mais – unvollständig zu sein und die eigentlichen Kernpunkte außer Acht zu lassen. Es vermischt normative und deskriptive Perspektiven, indem die Modellierung des Problems durch einen verkürzten Blickwinkel axiologisch präformiert wird.AbstractAfter analyzing the assessment model of Busch et al. (2002) in part 1 in general, in this part the model will be evaluated using a particular case study (MON810). The evaluation shows that the model should be extended to a more holistic approach which considers the origin of the problems leading to the development of genetically modified plants.
Ecological Indicators, 2016
In the steppe of Inner Mongolia, forage is the only source of feed for sheep. The forage intake o... more In the steppe of Inner Mongolia, forage is the only source of feed for sheep. The forage intake of sheep can be characterized in both quantity and quality terms, which are determined by environmental and anthropogenic factors and grazing has a strong effect on steppe productivity and the grassland ecosystem. Evaluation of forage quality and quantity is therefore of critical importance. The effects of grazing intensity, interannual variability effects, and species composition on aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) and forage nutritional characteristics were investigated in a controlled grazing experiment along a gradient of 7 grazing intensities (from non-grazed to very heavily grazed) over six years (2005-2010) on typical steppe in Inner Mongolia. Forage nutritional characteristics were defined by the nutritional value (concentrations of crude protein (CP), cellulase digestible organic matter (CDOM), metabolizable energy (ME) and neutral detergent fibre (NDF)) and the nutritional yield. The forage nutritional yield is a function of ANPP and the forage nutritional value. Forage nutritional value increased but ANPP and nutritional yields decreased with increasing grazing intensity. The inter-annual variation of ANPP, forage nutritional value and yield were weakly linked to the inter-annual variability of precipitation. However, ANPP and nutritional value also varied during the growing season, depending on the seasonal distribution of precipitation and temperature, which influence forage digestibility (CDOM) and metabolizable energy (ME), with higher CDOM and ME under high seasonal precipitation and low seasonal mean temperature. Forage nutritional value and yield, as well as ANPP, were predominantly determined by the dominant species rather than by species diversity. The results suggest that forage nutritional yield in the Inner Mongolian steppe is predominantly determined by the ANPP and only to a minor extent by forage nutritional value, and is predominantly determined by the dominant species and only to a minor extent by species diversity. Therefore, herbage productivity seems to be the most limiting factor in managing this steppe ecosystem as a feeding resource for livestock and to be the best ecological and environmental indicator for grassland management practices.
Animal Feed Science and Technology, 2008
The relationship of metabolizable energy (ME) content of the diet to gas production measured by t... more The relationship of metabolizable energy (ME) content of the diet to gas production measured by the Hohenheim gas test (HGT) has been studied intensively. However, the HGT is being replaced by automatic systems like the automated pressure evaluation system (APES) and comparison with the HGT method is required before ME estimation can be automated. This study compared the two different
Agronomy
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
Handbook Digital Farming
The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this p... more The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use.
Figure S1. Diagram of pre-management factors existing in the permanent grassland (2004-2014) and ... more Figure S1. Diagram of pre-management factors existing in the permanent grassland (2004-2014) and the treatments introduced with the grassland conversion and renovation experiment from 2015. GC stands for undisturbed grassland control, NT-GR for no-till grassland renovation, NT-CM for no-till continuous silage maize, and CT-CM for conventionally tilled continuous silage maize. The N0 and N1 refer to the non-fertilized and fertilized systems using CAN, respectively, based on a crop demand of 380 kg N ha-1 yr-1 for the grassland systems, and 180 kg N ha-1 yr-1 for the silage maize systems.
Résumé L'Union européenne est confrontée à des défis majeurs en matière d'environnement e... more Résumé L'Union européenne est confrontée à des défis majeurs en matière d'environnement et de changement climatique. Les émissions de gaz à effet de serre, l'érosion de la biodiversité, les rejets d'ammoniac ainsi que la concentration excessive de nutriments dans les eaux naturelles exigent un meilleur ciblage et une cohérence accrue de la politique agro-environnementale et de la lutte contre le changement climatique. Les mesures agro-environnementales et climatiques prises jusqu'ici, y compris dans le cadre de la Politique agricole commune (PAC), n'ont pas permis de réduire suffisamment la pollution de l'environnement par l'agriculture. Dans son projet de règlement de 2018, la Commission européenne propose un « nouveau modèle de mise en oeuvre » pour la PAC après 2020. Ce modèle confère aux États membres plus de compétence politique et vise une approche davantage axée sur les résultats, ce qui leur permet de se préoccuper davantage du bien commun lor...
Legumes and herbs are able to contribute to productivity and biodiversity in forage production. F... more Legumes and herbs are able to contribute to productivity and biodiversity in forage production. Furthermore they are known for their beneficial properties for animal nutrition and health. In the present study a grass/clover containing herbs and birdsfoot trefoil was compared to a site specific grass/clover with respect to growth dynamics, potential yield and forage quality under varied harvest frequencies. Independent of harvest frequency both seed mixtures achieved comparable yields. Increased harvest frequency led to higher forage quality but reduced dry matter yield. The introduction of herbs and birdsfoot trefoil led to minor decreases in the contents of crude protein and net-energy. When utilised every third or fourth week both seed mixtures were able to supply high lactating dairy cows with high quality forage.
Soil and Tillage Research, 2020
Intensification of forage production often leads to conversion of grassland to arable land, with ... more Intensification of forage production often leads to conversion of grassland to arable land, with associated high greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. By implementing seeding with minimal soil disturbance, i.e. no-tillage, reduction of GHG emissions is possible, while crop yields can still be considerable. On a sandy loam in the Eastern Uplands of Schleswig-Holstein, Northern Germany, a two-year field experiment (Apr 2015-Mar 2017) was set up, with a 10-year-old grassland sward converted to silage maize (Zea mays L.) with i.) conventional tillage by mouldboard ploughing (CT) and ii.) no-tillage (NT) representing the factor management. The factor N-fertilization consisted of two levels: 90 kg N ha −1 (N1) or no fertilization (N0). The annual N 2 O, CH 4 and CO 2 emissions were assessed with the closed chamber method. Global warming potential (GWP) expressed in CO 2 equivalents (CO 2 eq) was calculated on an area basis and at product level to compare the different management systems. The N 2 O emissions were significantly increased after conversion in the first experimental year but showed no effect of the factor management. The annual GWP was on average highest in the CT treatments with 23.9 (N0) and 29.3 t CO 2 eq ha −1 (N1), while NT reduced GWP by 67 and 46 % for N0 and N1 compared to CT. Biomass removal by harvesting dominated the GWP in all treatments. Yield-related emissions were significantly lower in NT than CT maize, thus indicating higher eco-efficiency of this management system.
Umweltwissenschaften und Schadstoff-Forschung, 2009
Präambel Aus Gründen des Umfangs wurde eine zweiteilige Darstellung gewählt. Teil 1 beschäftigt s... more Präambel Aus Gründen des Umfangs wurde eine zweiteilige Darstellung gewählt. Teil 1 beschäftigt sich mit den Bewertungsgrundlagen (Allgemeines zur Bewertungsmethodologie, Darstellung des Bewertungsmodells). Teil 2 bietet eine darauf aufbauende Diskussion konkreter Fallbeispiele. Zusammenfassung Ziel und Hintergrund Die Grüne Gentechnik (GGT) ist in Deutschland seit vielen Jahren eine gesellschaftlich stark umstrittene Technologie. Es existieren zahlreiche entgegen gesetzte Positionen, die mit zum Teil großer Härte und Unversöhnlichkeit aufeinander treffen. Wie umstritten diese Technologie wirklich ist, zeigte sich Mitte April dieses Jahres, als Agrarministerin Ilse Aigner den Anbau der Genmaissorte MON 810-der einzigen in der EU zugelassenen gentechnisch veränderten Pflanze-in Deutschland untersagte, vorerst zumindest. Sie trage damit den jahrelangen Bedenken von Umweltschützern Rechnung, hieß es als Begründung. Das Agrarunternehmen Monsanto erwog daraufhin rechtliche Schritte gegen das verhängte Verbot, denn Studien hätten die Unschädlichkeit von MON 810 für Mensch, Tier und Umwelt belegt. Wer ein Verbot wolle, müsse mit wissenschaftlichen Argumenten aufwarten und nicht bloß mit Bedenken. Eine vermittelnde Position nimmt Prof. Dr. Annette Schavan, Bundesministerin für Bildung und Forschung, ein. In Ansehung der Bedeutung der GGT als wichtige Zukunftstechnologie fordert sie einen "runden Tisch" von Politikern und Wissenschaftlern zur Versachlichung der Debatte. Man brauche dringend eine ge
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Papers by Friedhelm Taube