Irresponsible roadside mowing reduces biodiversity

As the summer season begins, roadside mowing becomes a topical issue, therefore, in order to preserve natural diversity and reduce mowing costs, the association “Zemnieku saeima” calls on farmers, municipalities and the State Road Maintenance Company to mow roadsides and ditches no more than 2 times per season – after the summer solstice in early July and September. Late mowing allows plants to bloom and reproduce. Roadsides are a habitat for natural pollinators and a nesting place for small birds.

Maira Dzelzkalēja-Burmistre, Deputy Chairwoman of the Association “Farmers’ Council”: “In previous years, we also urged farmers, municipalities and road managers not to rush to mow roadsides before Midsummer. Intensive mowing of roadsides and ditches is a legacy of the “Soviet era”, because such were the standards of beauty and economy. Currently, it would be more valuable to use the experience of Scandinavian and Western European countries – to preserve roadsides as strips of flowering natural plants that delight motorists with their splendor and make a significant contribution to the preservation of biodiversity. Mowing roadsides from the beginning of July increases plant diversity, thus providing pollinators with more and longer food sources. Birds have time to nest on roadsides, and the aesthetic factor is no less important. Motorists can enjoy the colorful roadsides. By the way, British studies show that there are fewer road accidents on roads with beautiful roadsides. One of the widely used arguments for frequent mowing of roadsides is road safety. and visibility for motorists. Of course, roadside mowing should be evaluated in each specific situation. If the ditches are overgrown with bushes and a small roadside remains, it is important that it ensures good visibility, so it should be mowed relatively often. We would, however, encourage us to gradually adopt the experience of other countries and rely on research that shows that by mowing late for a few years and removing the mowed mass, the fertility of the roadside soil decreases and a large diversity of plants returns to it. After a few years, it is possible to reduce mowing to a maximum of 2 times a year and use the saved funds for other road maintenance work. In addition, taking into account that before Midsummer, most Riga residents travel to various parts of Latvia, beautifully flowering roadsides would be a good gift for all Midsummer readers!