Draagkracht van vernatte veengronden : Veldproef draagkracht in relatie tot vochtsituatie

Summary

Rewetting of Peatland is a topic with high political priority but can have major implications for grassland use in dairy farming. Limitations in grassland use affect farm management and are reflected in the technical, economic and environmental performance of a dairy farm. An important consequence of peatland rewetting is the reduced carrying capacity of the sward. The relationship between the degree of wetting and carrying capacity used to calculate the consequences of wetting is based on observations made by Van Wijk (1984). This research shows that the relationship that was based on these observations is not universally valid. It is recommended that to revise this relationship based on new measurements that better represent current grassland soil density. It is also recommended to allow for seasonal differences for this relationship taking into account variations in soil density throughout the season.