Cultivation of grass significantly reduces nitrogen leaching from cultivated peatlands: Study

Perennial grass cover significantly reduces nitrogen leaching from cultivated peatlands, according to a recent study published in Science of The Total Environment. In measurements of Ruukki NorPeat field, the least amount of nitrogen was leached from field blocks covered with grass and thin peat layer. The largest nitrogen leaching came from plots with thicker peat without plant cover or with barley in the spring and during the mild winter. Phosphorus and organic carbon leaching increased as peat thickness increased.