June is haying time, it is also the time for many meadow species to spread their seeds. As part of LIFE Biodiv’Paysanne, we wish to harvest a mixture of a diversity of wild species of local origin with the aim of restoring degraded environments. During this spring, we therefore identified seed source meadows: environments in a good state of conservation, with diverse flora, having not been sown or over-sown, not presenting problematic species (invasive exotics in particular) and potentially interesting from a logistical point of view. Three sites were thus selected for this first year of handling harvesting techniques.
Then, the monitoring and the description of the phenological stages of the main target species of each site allow us to determine the optimal harvest periods according to the objectives. This is how we defined, for example, a first harvest on June 8 in a mesobromion type grass in order to obtain mostly erected brome seed.
Harvest tests on several dates on the same environment are planned in order to analyze the links between phenology, composition of meadows and composition of the harvested mixtures.
On Thursday, June 8, the first harvest took place with the SCEA brush machine, with the collaboration of a farmer whom we warmly thank. From this same source plot, a harvest by transfer of green hay, or hay flower, was carried out the same day. The third-third of the plot will be harvested with a brush machine the week of June 12, with good weather conditions.
A very encouraging first step has just been taken for the development of this activity and the acquisition of documented technical references on harvests of meadow seed mixtures.
To be continued in the next episode !
Photo ©Franck Gaulard - CEN Occitanie
