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Loss of organic matter from cultivated peat soils is a threat to farmers, due to the surface subsidence associated with organic matter loss, and to the atmosphere, due to CO₂ and N₂O emissions from the soil. In a three-year field experiment (2015–2017) on a drained, cultivated fen peat in southern Sweden, we tested whether reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea L.) and tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) perform better on peat soils than the commonly grown timothy grass (Phleum pratense L.), without increasing greenhouse gas emissions. In the experiment, we compared yield, nutrient uptake, penetration resistance and loss of organic matter measured as greenhouse gas emissions (CO₂, N₂O and CH₄). Yield of timothy was significantly lower than that of reed canary grass and tall fescue in 2016, and lower than that of reed canary grass in 2017. Yield level increased over time, with total dry matter yield …