Multispecies grasslands produce more yield from lower nitrogen inputs across a climatic gradient

O'Malley, J., Finn, J. A., Malisch, C. S., Suter, M., Meyer, S. T., Peratoner, G., Thivierge, M.-N., Abalos, D., Adler, P. R., Bezemer, T. M., Black, A. D., Ergon, Å., Golińska, B., Grange, G., Hakl, J., Hoekstra, N. J., Huguenin-Elie, O., Jing, J., Jungers, J. M., Lajeunesse, J., Loges, R., Louarn, G., Luscher, A., Moloney, T., Reynolds, C. K. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4152-1190, Sturite, I., Khan, A. S., Vishwakarma, R., Zhang, Y., Zhu, F. and Brophy, C. (2025) Multispecies grasslands produce more yield from lower nitrogen inputs across a climatic gradient. Science. ISSN 1095-9203 doi: 10.1126/science.ady0764

Abstract/Summary

High-yielding forage grasslands frequently comprise low species diversity and receive high inputs of nitrogen fertilizer. To investigate multispecies mixtures as an alternative strategy, the 26-site 10 international ‘LegacyNet’ experiment systematically varied the diversity of sown grasslands using up to six high-yielding forage species (grasses, legumes, and herbs), managed under moderate nitrogen inputs. Multispecies mixtures outyielded two widely used grassland practices: a grass monoculture with higher nitrogen fertilizer, and a two-species grass-legume community. High yields in multispecies mixtures were driven by strong positive grass-legume and legume-herb 15 interactions. In warmer sites, the yield advantage of legume-containing multispecies mixtures over monocultures and the high-nitrogen grass increased. Improved design of grassland mixtures can inform more environmentally sustainable forage production and may enhance adaptation of productive grasslands to a warming climate.

Item Type	Article
URI	https://centaur.reading.ac.uk/id/eprint/127102
Identification Number/DOI	10.1126/science.ady0764
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	Life Sciences > School of Agriculture, Policy and Development > Department of Animal Sciences Life Sciences > School of Agriculture, Policy and Development > Centre for Dairy Research (CEDAR)
Publisher	American Association for the Advancement of Science
Publisher Statement	"This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by permission of the AAAS for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Science on 4 December 2025, DOI: 10.1126/science.ady0764."
Download/View statistics	View download statistics for this item