Details of the project EPI

Selection of domestic and foreign populations of switch millet for cultivation for fodder purposes under the conditions of ongoing climatic changes in Poland

12-05-2022 do 30-11-2024

2 348 082,10

EFRROW; national public funds; own funds

www.paszazprosa.podr.pl

The purpose of the operation is to develop and implement a new product – animal feed from a new species of fodder plant introduced for cultivation in Poland: perennial millet (Panicum virgatum) in order to offer farmers an alternative source of roughage. The economic value of varieties and populations will be assessed on light and medium-cohesive soils, in the conditions of a changing climate, mainly water shortage and high air temperature. In the first stage, planned for 2022, the research methodology will be developed. In accordance with the developed methodology, in five different locations, the seeds of five fodder varieties imported from the USA will be sown on the experimental plots. In the sowing year, observations will be carried out regarding the assessment of seed germination, the possibility of cultivation on various sites, and trimming treatments will be performed. In the years 2023-2024, i.e. in the 2nd-3rd stage of the operation, maintenance treatments, measurements and

Panicum virgatum can be grown in areas that require the minimum climate and soil requirements, where it is difficult to grow other crops: grain, fodder and forage plants. This plant will provide Polish farmers with a new alternative source of valuable roughage (hay) necessary to feed farm animals, obtained in the situations of climate change. With a single purchase of seeds, soil cultivation and sowing enable harvesting for several years with a minimum financial investment and labour. Such an alternative may be interested for hunting clubs and other entities interested in the use of mid-forest stands for fodder purposes, including as protective belts for tree plantings. Millet plants, due to their extensive root system and low soil requirements, can be sown on soils excluded from agricultural production and introduced into places that are difficult to develop and manage. Limited fertilization needs of millet, compared to annual crop species, e.g. maize or cereals, significantly reduce the introduction of mineral fertilizers into the soil, subject to leaching into groundwater.

plant cultivation and horticulture