Aims and Themes

The International Grassland Congress 2027, Leipzig/Germany

The first International Grassland Congress (IGC) was held in Leipzig in 1927. For its 50th anniversary in 1977 the IGC returned to Leipzig. It is thus fitting that we will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the IGC by again returning to its roots in Leipzig.

This long history of international grassland science points to the enduring importance of our discipline, both for practical agriculture as well as for the scientific knowledge behind it. The challenges facing grassland science today are immense. A growing world population must be fed while resources are becoming increasingly scarce due to climate change, land loss and land degradation.

Science, with its diverse areas of expertise, ideas and innovative methods, is called upon to explain development processes and phenomena and to develop solutions for society and stakeholders in the agricultural and food sector. This requires scientists from the natural sciences, ecology, production engineering and socio-economic disciplines, regardless of whether they are involved in basic or applied research, to come together, collaborate and exchange findings and ideas. This is where the International Grassland Congress comes in.

The motto of IGC 2027 will be “100 years of grassland research – ways to the future”.

Since the first congress 100 years ago, the IGC has given scientists, students and representatives from industry, extension services and farms the opportunity to exchange the latest research findings and experiences on grassland every three to five years at different locations around the world.

Advancing Sustainable Grassland Agriculture: A Global Call to Action

The International Grassland Congress/Leipzig 2027 aims to address critical real-world imperatives such as ensuring sufficient and high-quality feed while minimizing feed-food competition, achieving profitable farming, reducing carbon footprints, halting grassland degradation, preserving soil fertility, maintaining biodiversity, and safeguarding animal welfare.

The congress will foster interdisciplinary dialogue to facilitate the recognition of systemic challenges and complex dependencies, and promote the co-creation of transformative solutions. Cross-cutting approaches prioritize integrating crop-livestock systems, scaling innovations, and leveraging advanced methodologies including AI-driven precision technologies, germplasm improvement, and environmental sensing. By uniting science with relevant stakeholders, we aim to catalyze actionable pathways toward a resilient, equitable, and sustainable grassland agriculture.

The following Themes and Subthemes characterize the variety of challenges and topics envisioned.

Choose your theme for your abstract submission:

Offered Sessions

Offered Sessions were submitted and approved as part of the call for sessions. In most cases, a list of potential speakers is already available here. Further sessions will be organized based on the submissions received for the sub-themes.

B | Grassland Production and Crop Physiology

B-OS1 | Advances in remote and proximal sensing to support global grassland management

F. A. Männer
Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Graphics Research IGD, Competence Center Bioeconomy, Rostock, Germany

V. Amputu
Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Plant Ecology Group, Tübingen, Germany

Global grasslands and rangelands face mounting pressures from climate and land-use change. This session examines how remote and proximal sensing-based management and monitoring are evolving toward more intensive, technology-enabled practices that align with policies, laws, and sustainability goals. We will evaluate current scientific results from remote and proximal sensing technologies and translate them into practical contexts for both scientific and private-sector audiences. The goal is to present the state of the art in grassland monitoring, highlight challenges, and discuss technologically viable solutions that balance scientific accuracy with real-world applicability.

B-OS2 | 100 Years of Forage Breeding: Progress, Innovation, and Lessons Learned

E. F. Rios
Univerity of Florida, Agronomy, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America

L. Jank
Embrapa, Beef Cattle, Campo Grande, Brazil

Forage breeding has transformed dramatically over the past century, driven by innovations from traditional ecotype selection to modern genomic tools. This session traces the evolution of methodologies that have shaped forage improvement, highlighting how classical germplasm evaluation laid the foundation for phenotypic recurrent selection, and demonstrating how genomic selection, phenomics, and genome editing are accelerating genetic gains. By bridging historical context with advances at the frontiers of science, this session aligns with the IGC 2027 motto: “100 years of grassland research – ways to the future.”

B-OS3 | A century of Ecological Change from Forage Plant Introductions in the Americas

K. H. Quesenberry
University of Florida, Agronomy, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America

G. Lacefield
University of Kentucky, Agronomy, Lexington, Kentucky, United States of America

Session focuses on selected forage plant introductions that have altered the grassland ecology of sections of North and South America. These introductions were sometime incidental with immigrations from Europe and Africa and sometimes purposeful by scientists seeking to improve the forage resource base. Over the past century forage agronomists and breeders have identified superior species, introduced and promoted novel ecotypes, and initiated breeding programs to adapt and improve these species. In most of these species an ecological transformation has resulted where adapted but lower yielding species have been replaced by these introduced species resulting in grassland ecosystems that support a more intensive forage livestock enterprise. Highlighting these remarkable grassland ecological transformations and looking at potential for future progress aligns this session with the IGC 2027 motto: “100 years of grassland research – ways to the future.”

B-OS4 | Importance of Epichloë in Temperate Grasslands

J. Caradus
Grasslanz Technology Limited, Hamilton, New Zealand

In many temperate regions the mutualistic obligate fungal endophyte Epichloë has been identified as an essential component of temperate grasses, such as perennial ryegrass and tall fescue, ensuring their persistence against many abiotic and biotic challenges. Understanding the importance of Epichloë in temperate grassland pastures has been an unfolding story for the past 45 years.
What began as a curiosity in plant pathology over 100 years ago, has since emerged as a model system in plant–microbe mutualism and a cornerstone of temperate pasture management. The unfolding narrative of Epichloë highlights not only the profound influence of microscopic symbionts on grassland ecosystems but also the transformative impact of integrating mycology, entomology, ecology, chemistry, animal grazing studies and agronomy to understand and harness these relationships.
The aim of this session is to provide a concise overview of how Epichloë endophyte was discovered and how its impact on animal health/welfare and pasture persistence was understood, followed by its effective delivery into commerce and future challenges and opportunities that will need to be traversed.

B-OS5 | Impacts of Climate Change Factors on Nutrient Flow and Productivity in Grassland Ecosystems

Y. Shi
Northeast Normal University, Institute of Grassland Science, Key Laboratory of Vegetation, Ecology of the Ministry of Education, Jilin Songnen Grassland Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Changchun, China

Y. Qiu
Nanjing Agricultural University, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing, China

J. Zhang
Northeast Agricultural University, College of Animal Science and Technology, Haerbin, China

Climate change factors, such as rising temperature, altered precipitation patterns, elevated atmospheric CO₂, and extreme weather events, profoundly affect nutrient flow (e.g., nitrogen, phosphorus cycling) in grassland ecosystems, which in turn regulates grassland productivity. This session seeks to assemble researchers and practitioners to deliberate on the latest advances in elucidating the mechanisms by which climate change factors mediate nutrient flow and their cascading effects on grassland productivity. We will cover key topics, including climate-driven changes in soil nutrient transformation, plant-microbe interactions regulating nutrient uptake, and adaptive management strategies to mitigate adverse impacts on grassland productivity. Contributions addressing other relevant themes related to the session’s core focus are also welcomed. By integrating theoretical research, field-fased experiments and practical applications, this session will provide a platform for knowledge exchange, identify critical research gaps, and promote collaborative efforts to enhance the resilience of grassland ecosystems under climate change, aligning closely with the conference’s emphasis on grassland production and crop physiology.

B-OS6 | Satellite-based monitoring of agricultural management and biodiversity in grassland ecosystems

S. Reinermann
German Aerospace Center (DLR), Land Surface Dynamics, Munich, Germany

M. Rossi
Joint Research Center, European Commission, Ispra, Italy

Grasslands are highly heterogeneous systems and vary in composition and management. They often face trade-offs between highly productive grasslands optimized for fodder production and species-rich grasslands, which are frequently supported by policy incentives. Monitoring of grasslands on a larger spatial scale is challenging due to strong spatiotemporal variability arising from differences in environmental conditions as well as variable land-use and management practices. In particular agriculturally used grasslands are highly dynamic with frequent management activities such as mowing, grazing or fertilization, whereas species-rich grasslands require a rather extensive use to maintain their habitat quality. Satellite-based analyses provide a unique opportunity to support grassland monitoring through independent and continuous observations of the Earth’s surface. The availability of both active and passive satellite imagery with high spatial and temporal resolution has triggered a large body of research on grassland management and ecosystem functions supporting the development of evidence-based approaches for sustainable grassland management. This session focuses on satellite-based monitoring and empirical and physical modelling of key management and biodiversity aspects of grassland ecosystems, including productivity and yield estimation, fodder quality, management intensity, habitat mapping and monitoring, species richness, and compositional heterogeneity.

B-OS7 | Seed for Grassland Agriculture: Regulatory Mechanisms and Sustainable Technologies for Forage Seed Yield Production

Juneng Wang
Northeast Normal University, China

Xiaowen Hu 
Lanzhou University, China

Recent advances in molecular biology, omics technologies, isotope tracing, and precision agriculture have led to new progress in forage cultivation and seed production research, providing new tools and perspectives for addressing these scientific questions. This session focuses on the physiological processes affecting forage seed yield and quality formation, including the interactions between key developmental stages and cultivation practices. In this session we aim to gather the latest research findings in forage seed production to provide scientific basis for optimizing seed production systems, improving seed yield and quality consistency, and promoting sustainable development of global grassland agriculture.

B-OS8 | Underutilised Forbs and Legumes for Future Grassland Systems

David Parsons
University of Umeå, Georg-August-University Göttingen

Martin Komainda
University of Umeå, Georg-August-University Göttingen

Worldwide, there is an increasing interest in increasing the species and functional diversity of grass swards for ruminant feeding. Yet, the knowledge of species that have so far not been considered in any sort of germplasm improvement and breeding is poor. This refers in particular to grassland legumes and forbs. Contributions are invited that take a closer look at those underutilized species that have a forage potential but have not or only recently been considered in breeding programmes. The session covers a wide range of potentially valuable forage species, their agronomic and feeding value, their growth characteristics, their within-species variability, their competitiveness in mixed swards or compatability with companion species.

B-OS9 | Grassland model advances and simulations across scales

C. Nendel
Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), Müncheberg, Brandenburg, Germany;
University of Potsdam, Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, Potsdam, Brandenburg, Germany

This session invites contributions on advances of process-based models for grassland productivity, biodiversity and biogeochemistry and demonstrations of model applications for the assessment of grassland system’s potential responses to a changing climate, to adaptation and mitigation measures or to changes to the water regime. Studies that adress scaling issues and the provisioning of appropriate data for the simulations at larger scales are of particular interest, as well as the employment of physics-informed data-driven modelling approaches. The focus of this session is on managed grasslands and pasturelands in temperate climates.

C | Grassland Utilization and Grassland-based Livestock Systems

C-OS1 | Intensive Grazing Management

N. Liu
China Agricultural University, College of Grassland Science and Technology, Beijing, China

Intensive grazing management, but not intensive pasture use, has emerged as a science-driven approach to balancing livestock productivity with enhanced ecosystem function in grasslands. Under growing pressures from climate change, land degradation, and biodiversity loss, optimizing grazing intensity, timing, frequency, and spatial distribution, along with other inputs such as fertilization, irrigation, and supplemental feeding, is increasingly recognized as critical for improving grassland resilience, soil health, and forage sustainability. Well-designed intensive grazing systems aim to align forage supply and animal demand, balance productivity and ecological outcomes, and, at the same time, economic benefits and investment. This session will synthesize recent advances in the ecological and agronomic understanding of intensive grazing and share global practical experiences from a whole-ecosystem perspective. Contributions are invited that to foster interdisciplinary dialogue to establish more adaptable, productive, and sustainable grassland management paradigms, thereby providing scientific foundations and practical guidance for transforming global grassland agricultural systems.

C-OS2 | Grass-based dairy and beef production systems: benefits and trade-offs

M. Komainda
Georg-August-University Göttingen, Department of Crop Sciences, Göttingen, Lower Saxony, Germany

Dairy and beef production represent a top agricultural sector in the EU and around the world in temperate climates. The environmental impact and carbon footprint of the sector is increasingly studied and scientifically debated. Balancing targets of production and environmental impacts is required. The goal is to analyze grass-based cattle production systems with regard to food security and feed-food competition, resource use efficiency, greenhouse gas emission risks and biodiversity and to what extent the output of the different target variables can be controlled by appropriate agricultural management. Results from experimental, field experiment based as well as modeling studies are invited to contribute.

C-OS3 | Integrated Crop-Livestock Systems

J. Röwekamp
Klimapraxis gUG, Berlin, Germany

S. Franke
Klimapraxis gUG, Berlin, Germany

This session aims to discuss the importance of (re-)integrating livestock into arable farming systems to enhance system resilience under climate change and increasing yield uncertainty. Integrated crop–livestock systems (ICLS) provide opportunities to improve biomass utilisation and to stabilise soil fertility under increasingly variable climatic conditions. Therefore, the session will examine climate-adapted grazing systems that contribute to stabilising forage availability throughout the year, thereby reducing reliance on costly conserved feed, while also delivering ecological benefits to soils and vegetation, for example through manure inputs and increased carbon incorporation into the soil via purposefully trampled mulch.
The session will present and critically discuss different management approaches, including mob grazing and the grazing of perennial (field forage) as well as annual cover crops. The focus will be on the ecological and agronomic effects of these strategies, as well as the challenges associated with their implementation in agricultural practices and research.

C-OS4 | Precision livestock grazing using virtual fences

F. Riesch
University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Lower Saxony, Germany

L. Klinck
University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Lower Saxony, Germany

Virtual fencing has the potential to revolutionise grazing management. The novel technology, composed of a smartphone application and GPS collars, alleviates the burden of setting up conventional physical fences. Livestock are enclosed and guided by acoustic, vibration, and electric cues. This enables us to move beyond established approaches to grazing management, which are mostly constrained by time and labour requirements and topographic conditions. Our session sets out to explore the new opportunities offered by virtual fencing technology. As the targeted allocation of grazing animals in space and time becomes easier, it should be possible to harmonise and maximise the agronomic and ecological benefits of grazing. We welcome contributions testing specific applications of virtual fences for practical challenges in intensive and extensive farming conditions or conservation settings. We are also interested in approaches using collar GPS and accelerometer data to infer and monitor animal behaviour, health and welfare. Our session intends to showcase cutting-edge research on grazing management systems worldwide, seizing the amenities of the digital era while carefully considering its potential limitations. We look forward to a fruitful discussion on the way forward to a more sustainable, grazing-based future of the livestock sector.

C-OS5 | Reconnecting livestock to cropland: the role of integrated crop-livestock systems

J. Dubeux
University of Florida, North Florida Research and Education Center/IFAS, Marianna, Florida, United States of America

M. Wallau
University of Florida, North Florida Research and Education Center/IFAS, Marianna, Florida, United States of America

Croplands represent a large component of terrestrial agroecosystems. In more developed regions, row crop agriculture has been decoupled from livestock systems because of extreme specialization, leaving large tracts of land fallow during significant time of the year. Integrated crop-livestock systems (ICLS), however, reconnecting livestock to cropland bring benefits and challenges to this practice. Major benefits include greater delivery of ecosystem services such as production of livestock products, improved crop yields, enhanced biogeochemistry and nutrient cycling, reduction of nitrate leaching and protection of soil erosion, habitat for pollinators, soil organic carbon accrual, improved soil physical, biological, and chemical attributes. Lack of infrastructure, educational skills, and access to markets has been indicated as potential bottlenecks for adopting ICLS on a large scale. Reintegrating fallow cropland into productive agricultural systems could not only lead to greater food production without expanding agricultural land but also enhance the delivery of ecosystem services during the fallow period, and finally, opening opportunities for the new generation to start farming. This session will address how ICLS might enhance the delivery of ecosystem services on a global scale, discussing barriers for adoption, and opportunities to expand in the next few decades.

C-OS6 | The Path Not Taken: Human Metabolic Science and Its Consequences for Grasslands

P. J. Ballerstedt
Grass Based Health, LLC, Philomath, Oregon, United States of America

D. B. Hannaway
Oregon State University, Corvallis, United States of America

The goal of this session is to integrate insights from human metabolic science into grassland policy, socio-economic analysis, and systems transformation, recognizing metabolic health as an underappreciated driver of food demand, land use, and grassland change. Population-level data indicate that a majority of adults in many regions are metabolically unhealthy, often without realizing it, making this topic directly relevant not only to professional practice but also to participants’ personal health, families, and communities.
The session will examine how historical divergences between metabolic science, dietary guidance, agricultural policy, and public funding priorities have contributed to malnutrition-driven chronic illness, with downstream consequences for grassland utilization, livestock systems, and rural economies. It will explore how renewed understanding of human metabolism, together with emerging clinical and nutritional evidence, should inform grassland policies, research agendas, and investment strategies. If malnutrition-driven chronic illness is among the largest global health challenges of the 21st century, then grassland policy, research funding, and system design must explicitly reflect the essential role of grassland-based animal-source foods in supporting human health, ecosystem resilience, and socio-economic sustainability.

C-OS7 | Experiment Design and Statistical Issues in Forage and Grazinglands Research

E. van Santen
Auburn University, Crop, Soil & Environmental Sciences, Auburn, Alabama, United States of America

N. Caram 
Universidad de la República (UdelaR), Facultad de Agronomía, Montevideo, Uruguay

The goal of this session is to raise awareness of statistical issues when conducting research in forage and grazinglands research. The fundamental concepts of experimental design are replication and randomization and the related definitions of experimental unit and experimental error, Even in the 21st century researchers remain somewhat unclear about these concepts leading to questionable statistical conclusions when treatments that lack true replication are being compared. Understanding Experimental Design as a process that extends from the conception of an idea to the actual planning, conducting, analyzing and interpreting an experiment combined with internalizing the classic definitions of experimental unit and experimental error would go a long way towards alleviating many of the problems. Another issue is a qualitative factor mindset when designing such experiments, rather than a quantitative factor mindset. The former compares specific treatments to each other, think multiple comparisons, whereas the latter is concerned with quantifying the relationship between the application factor, e.g., the relationship between forage availability per unit body mass, and the measure response such as ADG. Applied on-farm research has its very own problems; often treatments are not replicated on an individual farm. However, with forethought and planning studies could be designed to use individual farms as blocking units, even though not all treatments are present at every farm.

C-OS8 | Potential of Biological Nitirifcation Inhibition to reduce nitrogen loss from grass based livestock production

B. Lynch
Teagasc, Environment, Soils and Land Use Department, Johnstown Castle, Ireland

W. Burchill
University College Cork, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Cork, Ireland

The inhibition of soil nitrification has been demonstrated to effectively reduce N2O emissions and NO3 leaching. Much of the existing knowledge regarding the potential for abatement is derived from studies utilizing synthetic nitrification inhibitors. However, mounting evidence indicates that plant-induced biological nitrification inhibition (BNI) can substantially decrease soil N2O emissions and NO3 leaching. There are many research institutes working on the potential of BNI in temperate grassland plants as a nature based solution to reduce nitrogen loss from livestock production systems. The overarching aim of this session is to discuss the current state of art in plant based BNI and identify pathways to accelarate research and technology transfer.

D | Grassland Ecosystem Functioning and Services

D-OS1 | Grassland restoration and biodiversity conservation under climate and land-use change

Y. Niu
Bayreuth University, Bayreuth, Bavaria, Germany

P. Török
University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary

L. Hua
Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China

Grasslands worldwide are undergoing rapid degradation driven by interacting climate and land-use change, with profound consequences for biodiversity, ecosystem functioning, and pastoral livelihoods. This session examines how climatic drivers—such as warming, altered precipitation regimes, and increased climate variability—interact with land-use changes, including shifts in grazing intensity and frequency, fertilization, land abandonment, and pest outbreak, to shape grassland degradation trajectories and restoration potential.
We invite contributions that explore the ecological mechanisms underlying grassland degradation and recovery, including changes in resource availability, species interactions, disturbance regimes, and plant functional composition. Studies addressing non-linear dynamics—such as thresholds, tipping points, legacy effects, and time lags in spontaneous recovery and active restoration—are particularly encouraged. Contributions integrating long-term experiments, observational gradients, remote sensing, and trait- or process-based approaches are welcome.

D-OS2 | Root trait diversity and soil interactions to enhance grassland ecosystem services and resilience

M.-N. Thivierge
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Quebec Research and Development Centre, Quebec City, Québec, Canada

F. Fort
L’Institut Agro, CEFE, Montpellier, France

Most ecosystem services associated with natural or improved grasslands, including benefits to soil, water, air, biodiversity, climate change mitigation, and resilience, are the results of interactions between plant roots and the soil. Plant roots exhibit a wide array of trait values related to their morphology, physiology, or phenology; this diversity affects the surrounding soil properties and the fluxes (e.g., water, nutrients, and carbon). In return, the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of the soil also affect plant root traits by modulating root growing conditions and resources availability. Research evaluating the relations between root traits and ecosystem functions are still rare, and possible interactions with the soil, including micro and macro-organisms, are often not experimentally considered. Furthermore, the extent of opportunities to improve root traits to take advantage of root-soil interactions for a greater provision of ecosystem services in grasslands, whether through genetics or crop and soil management, remains unknown. This session aims to deepen our understanding of the effect of root trait diversity and root-soil interactions on the functioning, resilience, and provision of environmental and ecological benefits from grassland ecosystems.

D-OS3 | Restoration of degraded grasslands

G. Yang
China Agricultural University, College of Grassland Science and Technology, Beijing, China

“To protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems; to halt and reverse land degradation and biodiversity loss” are central targets of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 14 and 15. Due to climate change and human disturbance, nearly half of global grasslands have experienced degradation. Grassland degradation poses a major threat to both biodiversity conservation and ecosystem service provision, for instance, reducing forage and livestock production, suppressing nutrient cycling, decreasing climate change mitigation and limiting aesthetic value. There is an urgent need to restore the degraded grasslands. This session will present recent advances in ecological understanding of grassland restoration and innovative restoration interventions. Researchers, practitioners, policymakers and NGOs are welcome to join this session.

D-OS4 | Root-zone enrichment of soil organic carbon and nitrogen fractions as ecosystem service indicators

A. J. Franzluebbers
USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America

Forage and grazing lands have the capacity to store a large quantity of soil organic C in the soil profile. However, inherent pedogenic factors and contemporary management factors can be separated to account for different sources of accumulation. Depth distribution of total and component fractions of organic C and N may provide clues as to how management can be optimized to increase ecosystem service functions of soils under grasslands. Linkages of soil organic C and N to nutrient and water cycling, soil physical structure, and biological diversity will be explored. Perspectives from different regions of the world will be shared.

D-OS5 | Ecological function and service of temperate steppe in a changing world

X. Lyu
Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, China

Z. Wang
Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, China

Temperate steppe, an important grassland type with global significance, is essential for biodiversity conservation, forage production, and ecological security. Widespread grassland degradation, induced by climatic and anthropogenic factors, poses severe societal and environmental challenges. This session aims to build a platform for scientific community to exchange the state-of the-art and challenges in the research area of ecological function and service of temperate steppe as well as their responses to global changes and management strategies.

D-OS6 | Ecosystem Services Outcomes from Legume/Forb Integration into Grasslands

L. E. Sollenberger
University of Florida, Agronomy Department, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America

J. Dubeux
University of Florida, North Florida Research & Education Center, Marianna, Florida, United States of America

Grasslands cover >40% of Earth’s ice-free surface, and grazed grasslands are the largest land-use type globally. Beyond providing human food from livestock products, grasslands contribute to society through soil carbon sequestration, nutrient cycling, supporting wildlife/plant species diversity, minimizing soil erosion, and capturing and purifying rainwater. These societal benefits, i.e., ecosystem services, are offset to varying degrees by disservices, e.g., greenhouse gas emissions and potential for environmental degradation when grasslands are managed sub-optimally. Thus, it is critical to advance knowledge of management practices that shift outcomes toward ecosystem services and away from ecosystem disservices.
Increasing species diversity can improve resilience, sustainability, and delivery of ecosystem services from grassland-livestock agroecosystems. Integration of legumes and/or forbs into grass-only systems increases plant functional group diversity and offers potential of achieving the shift from ecosystem disservices to services. Our session objective is to provide a synthesis of current knowledge of the impact of legume and forb integration in grasslands on ecosystem services delivery. Internationally-recognized discipline experts will address impacts on forage and livestock responses, soil carbon sequestration, nutrient cycling, and greenhouse gas emissions. The session concludes by considering how much legume is optimal and with an author panel.

D-OS7 | Bridging the gap: linking biodiversity-ecosystem function experiments to real-world grassland management

X. Jing
Lanzhou University, State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, School of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou, China

P. Manning
University of Bergen, Department of Biological Sciences, Bergen, Norway

J.-S. He
Peking University, Institute of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Beijing, China

Over the last 30 years, controlled experiments have revolutionized our understanding of how biodiversity loss impacts ecosystem functioning. However, a controversy persists: can these findings—often derived from small-scale, synthesized communities—accurately predict the complex ecological dynamics of natural grasslands?
As the IGC returns to Leipzig, a global hub for BEF research (e.g., the Jena Grassland Experiment), this session provides a platform to evaluate the realism and predictive power of experimental ecology. We aim to identify why discrepancies exist between controlled experiments and observational studies of natural and managed grasslands, focusing on factors such as spatial scale, multi-trophic interactions, and environmental filters. We will also discuss the transferability of results from BEF research to the management of agricultural grasslands.
Specifically, the session seeks to: 1) Synthesize evidence from long-term experiments and global observation networks; 2) Discuss methodologies for transferring BEF research to ‘real-world’ ecosystems; and 3) Explore how to translate theoretical insights into robust management strategies for resilient grasslands. By bridging the gap between mechanistic experiments and the complexity of the real world, this session will outline a scientific roadmap for the next century of grassland conservation and sustainable use.

D-OS8 | Native plants at work: How indigenous grassland flora support ecosystem services, productive agriculture & society

J. I. Morrison
Mississippi State University, Plant and Soil Sciences, Starkville, Mississippi, United States of America

This session will demonstrate how native plants (grasses, legumes, and forbs) enhance the multifunctionality of working grasslands, simultaneously supporting forage productivity and livestock performance, soil and water regulation, carbon storage, pollination, biodiversity conservation, and cultural services. We will highlight mechanisms (plant functional traits, and diversity–stability effects), trade‑offs with intensification, and policy/market instruments that scale native plant use in productive systems across biomes, edaphic regions, and international boundaries. The goal of this session is to provide an open forum for discussion and critical evaluation of the role, importance, value, and acceptable investment capital for maintenance or improvement of native species. A secondary goal of the session is clearly linking agronomic decisions involving native plants in grassland systems with ecosystem service outcomes for farmers, ranchers, conservation agencies, and policymakers. Evidence for these linkages has expanded rapidly, including reviews showing semi‑natural, species‑rich grasslands deliver wider suites of services than intensified swards, and that combined, targeted restoration actions which intentionally include native seed/legume additions can raise multipurpose value, ecosystem service functionality, and socio-economic investment.

D-OS9 | Grasslands on organic soils: From greenhouse gas emission hotspots to carbon sinks?

B. Tiemeyer
Thünen Institute of Climate-Smart Agriculture, Braunschweig, Germany

F. Tanneberger
Greifswald Mire Centre, Greifswald, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany

Artificial drainage is prerequisite for using grasslands on organic soils for the production of high-quality fodder, but causes high emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG), mainly carbon dioxide. Therefore, both different management measures to raise water levels and alternative value chains for the biomass are discussed. Management measures include, but are not limited to, wet grassland paludiculture both for grazing and biomass production and improved water management in conventional agriculture. This session will present research results from large-scale implementation projects in Germany and other European countries. We invite studies addressing all types of grassland management on organic soils and their impacts on GHG exchange, ecosystem services and biodiversity. Work on all spatial scales from laboratory to global level addressing biogeochemical, biological and economic aspects as well as experimental and modelling studies are welcome. Furthermore, we invite contributions addressing policy coherence e.g., in the context of the EU Nature Restoration Law and evaluating policy instruments for initiating and implementing new management practices for grasslands on organic soils.

D-OS10 | Grassland functioning and forage provision under climate change: Insights from modelling across scales

S. Rolinski
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Climate Resilience, Potsdam, Germany

G. Bellocchi
French National Institute for Agricultural Research, Grassland Ecosystem Research, Clermant-Ferrand, France

S. Wirth
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Climate Resilience, Potsdam, Germany

V. Snow
AgResearch Ltd, Lincoln Research Centre, Christchurch, New Zealand

This session advances grassland modelling by moving beyond simplified growth equations toward frameworks that integrate plant functional traits, microbial dynamics, spatial heterogeneity and biogeochemical processes. Grassland ecosystems sit at the intersection of plant diversity and soil health, yet most models still treat these components as black boxes. We seek contributions that explicitly couple herbaceous plant growth with climate/weather, soil, and/or soil-microbe feedbacks to better represent ecosystem resilience. We particularly welcome work on:

  • Integrated dynamics linking plant traits, microbial functional groups, resource acquisition, rhizodeposition and soil organic matter formation
  • Management and disturbance effects – mowing, grazing, fertilisation – and how spatially heterogeneous pressures (e.g. patchy grazing) shape carbon-nutrient coupling
  • Emerging approaches such as digital twins, machine‑learning trait inference and multi‑model ensembles to bridge scale gaps
  • System‑level assessments of trade‑offs among fodder quality, soil carbon sequestration and stability, particularly as these evolve over varying space and time scales.

Studies addressing global‑change impacts, spatial processes or long‑term model evaluation are especially encouraged. The aim is to accelerate next‑generation, biodiversity‑aware tools for climate‑smart grassland management.

E | Socio-economy of Grassland Systems and Grassland Policies

E-OS1 | Beyond Drainage: Opportunities, Barriers and Pathways to Integrated Water Resources Management

J. T. Froehlich
Carl-von-Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Angewandte Geographie und Umweltplanung, Oldenburg, Lower Saxony, Germany

E. Schäfer
Carl-von-Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Ökologische Ökonomie, Oldenburg, Lower Saxony, Germany

Grasslands face increasing degradation. The north-western German coastal region exemplifies these pressures: grasslands have long been shaped by drainage-based water management, while climate change intensifies drought and waterlogging, widening the gap between summer scarcity and winter excess. Sustainable grassland use thus demands a shift from single-purpose drainage towards Integrated Water Resources Management that addresses both drought and flooding, while supporting productivity, biodiversity and ecosystem functioning.
We invite contributions analysing adaptation measures from field to regional scale (e.g. drainage, irrigation, retention capacities and water-level management). Using an ecosystem-services perspective, we assess co-benefits and trade-offs, including yield stability, biodiversity and cultural services. Emphasis is on enabling and constraining conditions across the four dimensions of Willingness, Capability, Resources and Legitimacy. While addressing hurdles such as costs, conflicts and regulatory constraints, the session ultimately aims to identify levers: steering parameters and decision rules, monitoring needs, funding designs and the roles of spatial planning and collaborative governance in scaling from pilots to regional adaptation pathways.

E-OS2 | Land tenure policies and pastoral system transitions in temperate Asia

S. Robinson
Justus-Liebig University, Faculty of Agriculture, Giessen, Hesse, Germany

M. Liu
Lanzhou University, College of pastoral agriculture science and technology, Lanzhou, China

Policies governing land access are critical to the management of rangeland systems, impacting management scale, access to seasonal grazing resources and livestock production systems. This panel session will explore relationships between such polices and key system and farm-level characteristics.
Government policies worldwide increasingly favour privatisation, yet some mobile production systems have persisted regardless of formal tenure arrangements. Suggested factors favouring both mobility and open or collective forms of land access include arid and variable climatic conditions, high vegetation heterogeneity, low population density and restricted opportunities for commercialisation. Policy implementation at local level, customary institutions and power relationships also influence how people access pastures on the ground.
Much of this literature emerged from studies of pastoralism in Africa. In the fast-modernising temperate rangelands of Asia conditions are very different; a range of tenure policies combined with variability in their implementation facilitates comparative study. Contributions that present case studies from Central Asia, Mongolia and China are particularly welcomed – documenting policy implementation and its outcomes on access to pastoral resources, the spatial distribution of grazing pressure, and system intensification both at household level and higher up the value chain.

E-OS3 | The Good Grassland Farmer: Understanding Grassland Farmers’ Perspectives and Management Decisions

K. Russell
Auburn University, Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology, Auburn, Alabama, United States of America

Over the last one hundred years, governments, agricultural organizations, and environmental groups have developed locally tailored standards for sustainable grassland and farm management. However, grassland growers face management decisions that oftentimes force them to choose between competing management priorities related to sustainability, conservation, profitability, and work-life balance. This interdisciplinary session addresses the complexities of how grassland producers’ perspectives shape their management decisions and how their values and corresponding management decisions align with (or don’t align with) current sustainable grassland practices.

F | Knowledge Transfer, Stakeholder Networks and Participatory Science

F-OS1 | Grassland System Transformation for Sustainability & Resilience: Practices, Policies & Societal Dimensions

P. Li
Institute of Grassland Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hohhot, China

L. J. Frewer
Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom

Grassland systems are currently undergoing unprecedented transformations, driven not only by climate change but also by socioeconomic shifts, technological developments, and changing domestic and international political contexts. Herdsmen, policymakers, and citizens play important roles in the transformation process of grassland systems. To facilitate knowledge exchange across regions and inform more effective policymaking aimed at enhancing sustainability and resilience of grassland systems, our proposed session brings together research findings and practical experience of academic circles, government sectors, and frontline practitioners from different part of the world. In so doing, three core objectives will be achieved. First, we will compare and discuss key adaptations of stakeholders in response to climate change, market fluctuations, and policy adjustments across China and European countries. Second, we will present evidence on key factors shaping stakeholders’ adaptations, as well as on the impacts of certain adaptative measures on the delivery of grassland ES and other social benefits. Third, we will reconcile and integrate findings across regions to refine new development models and benefit-generation mechanisms of grassland animal husbandry tailored to the characteristics of different regions, and to provide solid theoretical and practical evidence for optimising existing policies aimed at enhancing grassland sustainability and resilience.

F-OS2 | From Science to Practice: Participatory Networks for Sustainable and Regenerative Grassland Systems

B. Pedreira
University of Tennessee, Plant Sciences, Knoxville, Tennessee, United States of America

M. Wallau
University of Florida, Agronomy, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America

This session aims to showcase how participatory research, extension programs, and stakeholder networks can accelerate the implementation of sustainable and regenerative grassland management practices, particularly in the context of climate-driven disturbances such as flooding and natural disasters. The session will highlight successful examples of co-produced knowledge, where researchers, producers, extension professionals, and policymakers collaborate to promote resilient forage systems, support post-disaster recovery, and drive the future sustainability of grassland-based agriculture across diverse regions.

F-OS3 | The Role of On-Farm Research in Shaping Climate-Smart Grassland-Based Production Systems

T. Peters
Kiel University of Applied Sciences, HAW Kiel, Agricultural Sciences, Kiel, Germany

K. Obermeyer
Agricultural Center Baden-Württemberg, LAZBW, Department for Grassland Management, Aulendorf, Germany

The transition of grassland-based production systems is essential for climate change mitigation, adaptation, and biodiversity conservation, while simultaneously ensuring sustainable production of human-edible nutrients. On-farm research plays a pivotal role in this transformation by generating practicable knowledge directly within the regional farming context. Beyond that, on-farm research is the critical link between scientific results and the adaptation of ecological and economical practices. It validates scientific results in real-life farming as a proof-of-work, increases visibility and subsequently is a tool of science-based but practical knowledge transfer. This session presents the contributions of on-farm research to sustainable grassland management, drawing on case studies from diverse regional contexts that highlight specific environmental challenges and opportunities. Central to this discussion are co-creation approaches, where farmers, researchers, and advisors collaborate to develop and test innovative practices. This session aims to address key challenges and success factors in implementing on-farm research, focusing on translating findings into scalable solutions for both policy and practice. By bridging the gap between science and the field, this session aims to demonstrate how evidence-based strategies can drive resilient and environmentally sustainable grassland systems.

F-OS4 | Grazing as a lever for the agroecological transition of grassland systems

A. van den Pol-van Dasselaar
Aeres University of Applied Sciences, Dronten, Netherlands

A. Krause
Grünlandzentrum, Ovelgönne, Germany

This session will explore the role of grazing within agroecological grassland systems, highlighting how grazing-based livestock production contributes to sustainable, resilient, and multifunctional landscapes. Grazing is a cornerstone of agroecology when it supports animal health and welfare, reduces reliance on external inputs, enhances biodiversity, and strengthens ecological functioning, while also delivering high-quality food and socioeconomic benefits. The session builds on insights from the Grazing4AgroEcology network, a multi-actor European initiative that promotes grazing and facilitates agroecological innovation across diverse farming contexts. Contributions may include farmer-driven innovation and co-creation, integrated self-assessment approaches to agroecological performance, mechanisms for knowledge exchange across landscapes and value chains, and policy frameworks and innovations needed to accelerate the agroecological transition of grassland farming systems. Case studies may illustrate how grazing management can be optimized to achieve agronomic, environmental, and societal outcomes simultaneously. By integrating perspectives from scientists, practitioners, and policymakers, this session aims to deepen understanding of the contributions of grazing to ecosystem services, rural economies, and governance frameworks that support the transformation of grassland-based farming systems toward agroecology.

F-OS5 | Multi-Actor Platforms and Transdisciplinary for Resilient Livestock and Grassland Governance in the Global South

L. D. Felema
Cooperative Bank of Oromia, Ethiopia, Agricultural Banking, Addis A baba, Ethiopia, Ethiopia

E. Sodre
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique et Technologique, Institut de l’Environnement et de Recherche Agricoles, Département Productions Animales, Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso

E. Vall
CIRAD, UMR SELMET, F-34398 Montpellier, France, Montpellier, France

SELMET, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Institut Agro, Montpellier, France, Montpellier, France

L. Li
Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Department of Health and Environmental Sciences, Suzhou, China

This session synthesizes transformative approaches to livestock management by bridging the gap between local practice and global policy. Using Multi-Actor Innovation Platforms and Transdisciplinary Action Networks, the session explores how collaborative “organizational spaces” empower stakeholders to tackle complex socio-ecological challenges. By synthesizing three distinct global experiences—co-designing dairy fodder in Burkina Faso, transdisciplinary grassland governance on the Tibetan Plateau, and scaling inclusive finance in Ethiopia— the session debates how to break path dependency. The session highlights how structured collaboration between farmers, researchers, and financial institutions can move livestock systems from subsistence toward climate-resilient, commercially viable, and socially inclusive futures.