GH2 - Silvopastoral
GH2 - Silvopastoral
The 8-hectare silvopastoral agroforestry system was established in November 2021. The aim is to create an animal-friendly pasture for the Gladbacherhof dairy cattle with shade trees and fodder hedges, as well as productive grassland even under dry and hot conditions.
A total of over 600 trees and shrubs were planted for fruit, timber and biomass utilization. High-stem apple trees are the main crop. In most rows, they are combined with valuable timber trees (cherry, wild service tree, walnut, service tree and sweet chestnut) and in some cases also with fast-growing pioneer trees (poplar, red alder and paulownia). In spring 2024, forage hedges were also planted to border the four grazing areas. They increase the food supply, provide health-promoting ingredients and are resistant to drought.
Management of the 21-metre-wide grassland strips includes grazing by dairy cattle and silage production. The wooded strips were individually fenced and connected to each other via underground cables to enable large-scale grazing with maximum protection of the trees.
All images on this page are licensed under CC BY 4.0. Image sources: ©: Agroforst Gladbacherhof | author: Eva-Maria Minarsch (Image 1, 2, 3 and 5), Philipp Weckenbrock (Image 4).