Fertilizing degraded pastures boosts herbage production and nutritional value for dairy cows.
Perennial ryegrass pastures are commonly used to feed dairy cows, but naturalized pastures could be a sustainable alternative. A study in Chile compared three pasture renovation strategies and found that all three increased herbage production. The naturalized fertilized pasture produced similar amounts of dry matter as cultivated mixtures. Grazing efficiency was higher for all renovation strategies. Fertilization and liming increased certain grass species at the expense of others. Crude protein concentration and digestibility were higher in naturalized and perennial ryegrass–white clover pastures. Fertilizing and liming a low-producing naturalized pasture could be a good way to improve it.