Labour requirements for the forage production in South Tyrol

Abstract

Forage production in mountain areas is an important production factor for livestock farms as well as a source of ecosystem services for the society. The labour requirements, however, are sometimes considerable. The reference values from other countries in the Alpine region are subject to different operational and topographical conditions. The aim of this study is therefore to generate reliable, local and specific guideline values of the labour requirements for the forage production in mountain areas. 20 farms in the Puster Valley were selected and 100 to 109 plots per year, assigned to the categories meadow, grassland use combining mowing and grazing and maize grown for silage were investigated. The data collection took place from 2011 to 2013. The farmers systematically recorded the working times including set-up and dismantling times as well as travel times for each single field operation. The slope showed a highly significant effect on the total labour requirement for meadows. This can be explained in particular by the strong increase in manual labour for forage harvesting. The labour requirement for harvesting was five times higher for the highest slope class than for the lowest. The altitude, on the contrary, had no significant effect. Also for grassland use combining mowing and grazing only the slope affected the total labour requirement. For maize grown for silage, harvesting and ensiling were the most time-consuming categories, followed by soil tillage. Taking into account the local conditions, the methodology used and its constraints, the results provide useful reference values of the labour requirements in the agricultural practice in South Tyrol.