On 30th and 31st of May 2023, project partners of LIFE for SEEDS have carried out the fourth and final networking project, this time in Austria. Main topics of this professional trip were the logistics of seed production and the potential of seed mixtures in grassland restorations. Apart from the colleagues from partner institutions, this time we were also joined by the farmers from project areas (Nature Park Goričko, Triglav National Park, Notranjska Regional Park).
LIFE for Seeds
At the first day of our trip, we visited HBLFA Raumberg-Gumpenstein, one of Austria’s leading institutions in the field of agriculture. Our host was dr. Wilhelm Graiss, expert in vegetation management in alpine area. Dr. Graiss showed us their experimental fields of native grassland species and explained the entire process of seed gathering in nature:
- where, when and how they collect seeds,
- how they clean them,
- how they manage/store the seeds?
Chosen proportion of collected seeds is then used for growing of seedlings in their experimental greenhouse. Seedlings are then transferred to fields, where they serve in both seed multiplication and preservation of genetic diversity. Additionally, he showed to us their mechanization, used in preparation and maintenance of their fields.
On the second day of our field trip, we visited Kärntner Saatbau (Carinthian Seed Production) in Klagenfurt, where we were hosted by Rainer Frank and Christian Tamagger. Our hosts presented their work to us and discussed the challenges of seed production, especially in the field of nature conservation and grassland restoration. Seed production is just one of the steps in this route of conservation actions – starting from seed gathering, followed by cleaning, multiplication, sales and practical use. Crucially important are knowledge on vegetation of different habitats, adequate choice of grassland species which will be used in seed mixtures for grassland restoration, knowledge on biology of those species and good agricultural practice in various steps of working with seeds.
We are sincerely thankful to all of our hosts for their reception and the knowledge they have shared with us, which will definitely be useful in the continuation of our project!
