scholarly journals Crop performance, biological N fixation and pre-crop effect of pea ideotypes in an organic farming system

2019 ◽  
Vol 115 (3) ◽  
pp. 391-405 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriele Gollner ◽  
Walter Starz ◽  
Jürgen K. Friedel

Abstract Pea (Pisum sativum L.) is a valuable grain legume in organic crop rotations. Pea rotations provide nitrogen (N) to the system through N fixation and produce animal feed or human food. Because of the high susceptibility of pea to pests, diseases and weeds and due to low profitability, especially in organic systems, pea cropping intensity decreased in the last 15 years in Austria. Therefore, it is important to find strategies for improving pea cropping systems in organic systems, by increasing yields and providing a positive N balance. The objective of this study was to compare pea genotypes of selected field and fodder pea in pure and mixed pea stands for biomass performance, biological N fixation and pre-crop effect under dry site conditions in a 2-year study in Eastern Austria. Pea N fixation was estimated using the extended N-difference method, with oat as the reference crop. The highest grain yield was found for the leafed field pea, with 2.5 Mg dry mass (DM) ha−1, followed by the semi-leafless field pea with 2.1 Mg DM ha−1 and the pea-mixtures with 2.2 Mg DM ha−1. The field pea cultivars yielded more than the fodder pea cultivars with 1.6 Mg DM ha−1. The average N concentration in pea grains was 3.6 mg g−1. The fodder pea type contained 3.8 mg g−1, significantly more N (p < 0.0001) than the semi-leafless and leafed field pea. Pea N fixation ranged from 53 to 75 kg N ha−1, corresponding to 42–50% of N derived from the atmosphere (% Ndfa). No differences in N fixation were found among cultivars, types and field/fodder pea. The fodder pea exported less N from the field because of their lower grain yield. Therefore, the N balance (N-input − N-output) of fodder pea was positive, with + 3.4 kg N ha−1 compared to the negative N balance of − 0.6 to − 3.6 kg N ha−1 for the leafed field pea types. These differences were not reflected in the following winter wheat crop, where the DM grain yield was 3.6–3.9 Mg ha−1 with no differences between cultivars and ideotypes. The results demonstrate that leafed field pea could have a sufficient grain yield and fodder pea could produce high N concentration in the grains. Because there are no differences regarding the effect of pea types on the yield of the following crop, it can be concluded that all tested pea types are suitable for successful organic pea production under dry site conditions. While there were no negative effects on the subsequent crop, the different ideotypes and mixtures may be selected based on different management goals.

1996 ◽  
Vol 36 (6) ◽  
pp. 695 ◽  
Author(s):  
CP Horn ◽  
CJ Birch ◽  
RC Dalal ◽  
JA Doughton

Mean protein concentrations in wheat (Triticum aestivum) on the Darling Downs of southern Queensland have fallen below 10% in recent years, preventing farmers from obtaining 'Prime Hard' status (13.0%) for their wheat crop. Two management options, for improving this situation are applications of nitrogenous fertiliser in a wheat monoculture or inclusion of a legume in rotation with wheat. Long-term trials at Warra, on the western Darling Downs, resulted in the selection of chickpea (Cicer arietinum) as a useful grain legume cash crop with potential for improvement of its nitrogen (N) fixing ability through management. This 2-year study examined the effect of sowing time and tillage practice on dry matter yield, grain yield, N accumulation and N2 fixation in chickpea and the subsequent soil N balance. There were 3 sowing times during autumn and winter of each year using conventional tillage (CT). Zero tillage (ZT) was introduced after the first crop for all sowing times. Greater total dry matter yield and grain yield (4.18-5.95 and 1.63-2.25 t/ha, respectively) resulted from sowing in autumn or early winter than from sowing in late winter (3.39-3.86 and 0.97-1.22 kg/ha, respectively). The effects of tillage practice were variable, depending on growth stage. At harvest, ZT plots produced greater total dry matter yield (4.20 t/ha) and grain yield (1.94 t/ha) than CT plots (3.01 and 1.29 t/ha, respectively), whereas at the time of maximum dry matter, yield was higher under CT for autumn sowings, and under ZT for winter sowings.


2019 ◽  
Vol 70 (4) ◽  
pp. 327 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luciano Pecetti ◽  
Angelo R. Marcotrigiano ◽  
Luigi Russi ◽  
Massimo Romani ◽  
Paolo Annicchiarico

This study aimed to support field pea (Pisum sativum L.) breeding strategies for organic systems of southern European environments, by assessing the size of genotype × environment interaction (GEI) due to spatial and temporal factors across climatically contrasting regions and identifying plant characters associated with genotype adaptive responses. Twelve recent varieties were evaluated for grain yield and other traits in six organically managed environments (three sites × two cropping years) of northern, central and southern Italy. GEI for grain yield was large, with the variety × site × year interaction greatly exceeding the variety × site interaction. This finding, and the similar magnitude of the mean genetic correlations for variety yields across pairs of sites (rg = 0.56) and pairs of years (rg = 0.51), indicated the difficulty of exploiting variety × site interaction effects by breeding for specific climatic regions. Pattern analysis highlighted the large inconsistency across years for GEI pattern of the sites from central and southern Italy. GEI also complicated the targeting of varieties, owing to inconsistent top-performing material across years according to additive main effects and multiplicative interaction (AMMI)-modelled yields. Higher genotype mean yield was strictly associated (P &lt; 0.01) with lower weed proportion (hence, greater competitiveness against weeds: r = –0.96), taller plants (r = 0.89) and larger seeds (r = 0.78), with looser associations with lower susceptibility to lodging and ascochyta blight. These traits, which also contributed to preferential adaptation to the moisture-favourable environments of northern Italy, could be selected in breeding widely adapted varieties.


1993 ◽  
Vol 120 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. C. Izaurralde ◽  
N. G. Juma ◽  
W. B. McGill ◽  
D. S. Chanasyk ◽  
S. Pawluk ◽  
...  

SUMMARYA 3-year field study (1986–88) was conducted in central Alberta to discover how diverse soil-plant systems function under cryoboreal subhumid conditions. Barley, fescue, faba (field) bean and a barley/field pea intercrop were grown continuously on different soils at Ellerslie and Breton using two distinct tillage methods. The agronomic performance, weed-crop interactions and below-ground productivity of these cropping systems were examined. The main findings were as follows: different soil properties did not affect yields of barley, barley/field pea and fescue fertilized with N and P; silage yield of faba bean at Breton was greater than at Ellerslie; barley/field pea and faba bean could be grown without tillage at Ellerslie; barley/field pea plots had the lowest weed counts; fescue root biomass was greatest at all depths followed by faba bean and barley; and soil properties appeared not to induce differences in root production of a cereal, an annual forage legume and a perennial grass. Increasing the use of annual legumes into rotations, either as sole crops or as intercrops with cereals, may be a viable alternative to continuous cereal cropping because annual legumes contribute N through biological N fixation, reduce weed competition and increase the input of root mass in soil.


2001 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 347 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Evans ◽  
A. M. McNeill ◽  
M. J. Unkovich ◽  
N. A. Fettell ◽  
D. P. Heenan

The removal of nitrogen (N) in grain cereal and canola crops in Australia exceeds 0.3 million t N/year and is increasing with improvements in average crop yields. Although N fertiliser applications to cereals are also rising, N2-fixing legumes still play a pivotal role through inputs of biologically fixed N in crop and pasture systems. This review collates Australian data on the effects of grain legume N2 fixation, the net N balance of legume cropping, summarises trends in the soil N balance in grain legume–cereal rotations, and evaluates the direct contribution of grain legume stubble and root N to wheat production in southern Australia. The net effect of grain legume N2 fixation on the soil N balance, i.e. the difference between fixed N and N harvested in legume grain (Nadd) ranges widely, viz. lupin –29–247 kg N/ha (mean 80), pea –46–181 kg N/ha (mean 40), chickpea –67–102 kg N/ha (mean 6), and faba bean 8–271 kg N/ha (mean 113). Nadd is found to be related to the amount (Nfix) and proportion (Pfix) of crop N derived from N2 fixation, but not to legume grain yield (GY). When Nfix exceeded 30 (lupin), 39 (pea) and 49 (chickpea) kg N/ha the N balance was frequently positive, averaging 0.60 kg N/kg of N fixed. Since Nfix increased with shoot dry matter (SDM) (21 kg N fixed/t SDM; pea and lupin) and Pfix (pea, lupin and chickpea), increases in SDM and Pfix usually increased the legume’s effect on soil N balance. Additive effects of SDM, Pfix and GY explained most (R2 = 0.87) of the variation in Nadd. Using crop-specific models based on these parameters the average effects of grain legumes on soil N balance across Australia were estimated to be 88 (lupin), 44 (pea) and 18 (chickpea) kg N/ha. Values of Nadd for the combined legumes were 47 kg N/ha in south-eastern Australia and 90 kg N/ha in south-western Australia. The average net N input from lupin crops was estimated to increase from 61 to 79 kg N/ha as annual rainfall rose from 445 to 627 mm across 3 shires in the south-east. The comparative average input from pea was 37 to 47 kg N/ha with least input in the higher rainfall shires. When the effects of legumes on soil N balance in south-eastern Australia were compared with average amounts of N removed in wheat grain, pea–wheat (1:1) sequences were considered less sustainable for N than lupin–wheat (1:1) sequences, while in south-western Australia the latter were considered sustainable. Nitrogen mineralised from lupin residues was estimated to contribute 40% of the N in the average grain yield of a following wheat crop, and that from pea residues, 15–30%; respectively, about 25 and 15 kg N/ha. Therefore, it was concluded that the majority of wheat N must be obtained from pre-existing soil sources. As the amounts above represented only 25–35% of the total N added to soil by grain legumes, the residual amount of N in legume residues is likely to be important in sustaining those pre-existing soil sources of N.


Author(s):  
Johannes W. Debler ◽  
Bernadette M. Henares ◽  
Robert C. Lee

Abstract Key message Modified pEAQ-HT-DEST1 vectors were used for agroinfiltration in legumes. We demonstrate protein expression and export in pea, lentil, and faba bean; however, the method for chickpea was not successful. Abstract Agroinfiltration is a valuable research method for investigating virulence and avirulence effector proteins from pathogens and pests, where heterologous effector proteins are transiently expressed in plant leaves and hypersensitive necrosis responses and other effector functions can be assessed. Nicotiana benthamiana is widely used for agroinfiltration and the characterisation of broad-spectrum effectors. The method has also been used in other plant species including field pea, but not yet developed for chickpea, lentil, or faba bean. Here, we have modified the pEAQ-HT-DEST1 vector for expression of 6 × histidine-tagged green-fluorescent protein (GFP) and the known necrosis-inducing broad-spectrum effector necrosis and ethylene-inducing peptide (Nep1)-like protein (NLP). Modified pEAQ-based vectors were adapted to encode signal peptide sequences for apoplast targeting of expressed proteins. We used confocal microscopy to assess the level of GFP expression in agroinfiltrated leaves. While at 3 days after infiltration in N. benthamiana, GFP was expressed at a relatively high level, expression in field pea and faba bean at the same time point was relatively low. In lentil, an expression level of GFP similar to field pea and faba bean at 3 days was only observed after 5 days. Chickpea leaf cells were transformed at low frequency and agroinfiltration was concluded to not be successful for chickpea. We concluded that the pEAQ vector is suitable for testing host-specific effectors in field pea, lentil, and faba bean, but low transformation efficiency limits the utility of the method for chickpea.


1987 ◽  
Vol 108 (3) ◽  
pp. 609-615 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Papastylianou ◽  
Th. Samios

SummaryUsing data from rotation studies in which barley or woollypod vetch were included, both cut for hay and preceding barley for grain, it is shown that forage barley gave higher dry-matter yield than woollypod vetch (3·74 v. 2·92 t/ha per year). However, the latter gave feedingstuff of higher nitrogen concentration and yield (86 kg N/ha per year for vetch v. 55 kg N/ha per year for barley). Rainfall was an important factor in controlling the yield of the two forages and the comparison between them in different years and sites. Barley following woollypod vetch gave higher grain yield than when following forage barley (2·36 v. 1·91 t/ha). Rotation sequences which included woollypod vetch had higher output of nitrogen (N) than input of fertilizer N with a positive value of 44–60 kg N/ha per year. In rotations where forage barley was followed by barley for grain the N balance between output and input was 5–6 kg N/ha. Total soil N was similar in the different rotations at the end of a 7-year period.


2021 ◽  
Vol 51 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudyanne do Nascimento Costa ◽  
Jadson Emanuel Lopes Antunes ◽  
João Pedro Alves de Aquino ◽  
Ingrid Sthephanie da Costa Silva ◽  
Angela Celis de Almeida Lopes ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT: This study evaluated the activity of rhizobia isolates inoculated in large (18 mm) and small (11 mm) seeds on lima bean growth, nodulation and N fixation. Selected rhizobia isolates were compared with a reference strain CIAT899 and two controls without inoculation. Large seeds contributed for highest plant growth, nodulation and N fixation than small seeds. The isolates UFPI-59, UFPI-18 and UFPI-38 promoted the highest values of shoot and root dry weight, respectively. The isolates UFPI-32 promoted the highest values of nodule number, while UFPI-59 promoted the highest values of nodule dry weight. The isolates UFPI-38 and UFPI-59 promoted the highest accumulation of N. This study showed that seed size really influences lima bean growth, nodulation and BNF. Considering rhizobia isolates, UFPI-59, UFPI-38, and UFPI-18 contributed for plant growth, promoted better nodulation and effectiveness on biological N fixation.


2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 670-678 ◽  
Author(s):  
ROGÉRIO PERES SORATTO ◽  
TIAGO ARANDA CATUCHI ◽  
EMERSON DE FREITAS CORDOVA DE SOUZA ◽  
JADER LUIS NANTES GARCIA

ABSTRACT The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of plant densities and sidedressed nitrogen (N) rates on nutrition and productive performance of the common bean cultivars IPR 139 and Pérola. For each cultivar, a randomized complete block experimental design was used in a split-plot arrangement, with three replicates. Plots consisted of three plant densities (5, 7, and 9 plants ha-1) and subplots of five N rates (0, 30, 60, 120, and 180 kg ha-1). Aboveground dry matter, leaf macro- and micronutrient concentrations, yield components, grain yield, and protein concentration in grains were evaluated. Lower plant densities (5 and 7 plants m-1) increased aboveground dry matter production and the number of pods per plant and did not reduce grain yield. In the absence of N fertilization, reduction of plant density decreased N concentration in common bean leaves. Nitrogen fertilization linearly increased dry matter and leaf N concentration, mainly at lower plant densities. Regardless of plant density, the N supply linearly increased grain yield of cultivars IPR 139 and Pérola by 17.3 and 52.2%, respectively.


2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Paolo Annicchiarico

Legume cultivation has sharply decreased in Italy during the last 50 years. Lucerne remains widely grown (with about 12% of its area devoted to dehydration), whereas soybean is definitely the most-grown grain legume. Poor legume cropping is mainly due to the gap in yielding ability with major cereals, which has widened up in time according to statistical data. Lucerne displays definitely higher crude protein yield and somewhat lower economic gap with benchmark cereals than feed grain legumes. Pea because of high feed energy production per unit area and rate of genetic progress, and white lupin because of high protein yield per unit area, are particularly interesting for Italian rain-fed environments. Greater legume cultivation in Europe is urged by the need for reducing energy and green-house gas emissions and excessive and unbalanced global N flows through greater symbiotic N fixation and more integrated crop-animal production, as well as to cope with ongoing and perspective raising prices of feed proteins and N fertilisers and insecurity of feed protein supplies. The transition towards greater legume cultivation requires focused research effort, comprehensive stakeholder cooperation and fair economic compensation for legume environmental services, with a key role for genetic improvement dragged by public breeding or pre-breeding. New opportunities for yield improvement arise from the ongoing development of cost-efficient genome-enabled selection procedures, enhanced adaptation to specific cropping conditions via ecophysiological and evolutionary-based approaches, and more thorough exploitation of global genetic resources.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document