On 31 May 2024, advisers and project staff participated in a skills development day. The purpose of the day was to give the participants an introduction to indicator species for the nature types alkaline fens, springs and acidic grassland, and to test-register the indicator plants that will be part of a new pilot subsidy scheme at the Danish Agency for Agriculture in 2025. The day took place in Jordbro Ådal in Viborg Municipality.
The new pilot subsidy scheme is results-based. This means that the farmer can get a supplement if visible results are delivered on biodiversity on natural areas, where at the same time you have committed to grazing under the scheme, care of grass and natural areas. The effect of good nature care should be reflected in, among other things, the plant indicators found in the areas.
The Danish Agency for Agriculture has found in a user survey that there is a need for farmers to have access to some easily accessible reading about both plant indicators and how grazing can be organized to create the best results. For this purpose, SEGES has developed a two-part leaflet "Grasing promotes biodiversity". In part 1, you can, among other things, read about structures and processes. The leaflet describes i.a. what grazing means for biodiversity and what signs to look for to find out if the management that has been put in place is working. Part 2 describes the plant indicators that must be present in the areas.
Even though the rain was pouring down, spirits were high, and everyone went enthusiastically to the task, where both indicator plants and structures had to be registered in the areas. The advisers went home with new knowledge about the species that we find on our finest natural areas, while the Danish Agency for Agriculture gained a lot of practical experience for further work with the pilot subsidy scheme.
Applicants who wish to participate in the pilot scheme from 2025 must apply for participation via the Danish Agency for Agriculture's website as early as September 2024.