Application of chemical nitrogen (N) fertilisers to land has the potential to contribute to gaseous emissions and are a risk factor for water quality and biodiversity loss. Hence, observed increased application rates of chemical N fertilisers pose a threat to the environmental sustainability of agricultural production. There is a growing awareness of the potential of additional forage species to improve the performance of grazing systems and simultaneously reduce the application of chemical N fertilisers. However, despite researchers efforts to promote the uptake of clover, prevalence of clover in grazing swards remains low.
This PhD project aims to understand and support clover implementation in grazing swards, by (1) exploring farmers’ behavioural and knowledge constraints in the adoption of clover, (2) improving farmers’ engagement with information related to clover, and (3) modelling environmental and economic sustainability outcomes of clover use. It is envisaged that findings will directly inform knowledge transfer strategies to support widespread uptake of clover in grazing swards. Employed methodologies range from qualitative focus groups to quantitative data analyses using statistical, and econometric modelling techniques.
Overall, this project provide detailed insights into drivers and constraints of clover adoption, environmental and economic costs and benefits, as well as practical solutions to support large-scale implementation of clover into grassland. Therefore, this project contributes to achieving a more environmentally sustainable agricultural sector.