Forage crops provide the most important feed source for ruminants and horses. They are also the crop grown on the largest area of agricultural land in Sweden. On 3–4 February, the fifth Forage Conference was held at Ultuna, attracting a total of 318 participants.
The conference was organised and funded by SLU (the Faculty of Natural Resources and Agricultural Sciences) in collaboration with Växa, the Swedish Farmers’ Federation (LRF), Greppa Näringen/The Swedish Board of Agriculture, and the Rural Economy and Agricultural Societies. External funding was provided by the Seydlitz Foundation MP Companies, the Swedish Farmers’ Foundation for Agricultural Research, the Anders Elofson Foundation, and the Swedish Grassland Society Foundation Funds.
One of the key purposes of the Forage Conference is to bring together people from different professional backgrounds with an interest in forage and pasture production and/or feeding practices – advisers, farmers, researchers, teachers, policymakers, sales representatives, students and others with a general interest in the field. The conference provides opportunities both to gain new knowledge and to develop a shared understanding of the requirements involved in forage cultivation and feeding, enabling us to make the best possible use of the valuable resource that forage represents.
New research findings were presented on topics including:
- The importance of forage crops for food production – globally and regionally
- Climate adaptation in forage production and feeding
- Forage crops in farming systems and landscapes
- Forage plant breeding – present and future developments
- Autumn establishment of forage crops
- Irrigation of forage crops
- Satellite-based tools for forage management
- Economics of forage production
- Virtual fencing and other technological solutions for grazing
- Forage for horses – cultivation, feeding and health
Participants also gained valuable insights into Norwegian forage advisoryservices.
Between presentations, there was time for discussions, including with experienced grazing farmers who had participated in the thematic EU network Grazing4AgroEcology.
The conference report Forage Conference 2026 contains summaries of all presentations and posters.
