Effect of cattle slurry on soil and herbage chemical properties, yield, nutrient balance and plant species composition of moderately dry Arrhenatherion grassland

Slurry application positively affected soil fertility by increasing pH, as well as P, K and Mg availability, without any effect on organic C and the total N content. The mean annual herbage yield was 2.58, 3.56, 4.40, 5.75 and 6.09 t ha−1 in 0, 60, 120, 180 and 240 treatments, respectively. Concentrations of N, P and K in herbage slightly increased with slurry application, while the concentration of Ca decreased. There was no surplus of N, K and Ca up to an N application rate of 120 kg ha−1, and there was only a slight surplus of P and Mg. In S3 and S4 treatments, the main change in vegetation was an increase in graminoids cover, accompanied by a decrease in the cover of legumes and short forbs, without any significant effect on the species richness of vascular plants. Slurry application at annual rates up to 120 N ha−1 seems to be an acceptable compromise, and we recommend setting this limit for application of cattle slurry on Arrhenatherion grasslands.