scholarly journals Productivity and nitrogen benefits of late-season legume cover crops in organic wheat production

2014 ◽  
Vol 94 (4) ◽  
pp. 771-783 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harun Cicek ◽  
Martin H. Entz ◽  
Joanne R. Thiessen Martens ◽  
Paul R. Bullock
Keyword(s):  
Biomass Production ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
N Uptake ◽  
Red Clover ◽  
Reduced Tillage ◽  
Sweet Clover ◽  
Wheat Production ◽  
Late Season ◽  
Legume Cover Crops

Cicek, H., Entz, M. H., Thiessen Martens, J. R. and Bullock, P. R. 2014. Productivity and nitrogen benefits of late-season legume cover crops in organic wheat production. Can. J. Plant Sci. 94: 771–783. When full-season cover crops are used in stockless organic rotations, cash crop production is compromised. Including winter cereals in rotations can widen the growing season window and create a niche for late-season cover crops. We investigated the establishment and biomass production of relay-cropped red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) and sweet clover (Melilotus officinalis L. ‘Norgold’) and double-cropped cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. ‘Iron and Clay’), hairy vetch (Vicia villosa L.), lentil (Lens culinaris L. ‘Indianhead’), soybean (Glycine max L. ‘Prudence’), pea (Pisum sativum L. ‘40-10’), and oil seed radish (Raphanus sativus L.) as well as wheat response to these crops under reduced tillage (RT) and conventional tillage (CT) at three locations in Manitoba, Canada. Red clover, sweet clover and pea produced from 737 to 4075 and 93 to 1453 and 160 to 2357 kg ha−1of biomass, respectively. All double crops, with the exception of soybean at 2 site years, established successfully under both RT and CT. The presence of cover crops increased wheat N uptake at stem elongation, maturity and yield, even when the biomass production of cover crops was modest. We conclude that late-season cover crops enhance the following wheat yield and facilitate reduced tillage in organic crop production.

scholarly journals Biomass Production and Potential Fixed Nitrogen Inputs from Leguminous Cover Crops in Subtropical Avocado Plantations

Agronomy ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 70
Author(s):  
Terry J. Rose ◽  
Lee J. Kearney
Keyword(s):  
Biomass Production ◽  
White Clover ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Persea Americana ◽  
N Fixation ◽  
N Losses ◽  
N Accumulation ◽  
Tree Crop ◽  
Nitrogen Inputs ◽  
Legume Cover Crops

Nitrogen (N) fertiliser is applied to perennial horticultural crops to increase yields, but subsequent N losses in subtropical plantations may be high due to intense rainfall and warmer temperatures. While legume cover crops could potentially contribute N to the tree crops and reduce fertiliser-N requirements, few studies have quantified potential fixed-N inputs from cover crops legumes in tropical or subtropical tree crop systems. To address this, we investigated growth and N fixation of summer-growing Pinto peanut (Arachis pintoi Krapov. & W. C. Greg cv. Amarillo) and winter/spring dominant white clover (Trifolium repens L. cv. Haifa) grown as a mixed species cover crop in two commercial subtropical avocado (Persea americana Mill. cv. Hass) plantations. Legume biomass was assessed prior to mowing of the inter-row (fortnightly in summer and every 6–8 weeks over winter) and N fixation was estimated using the 15N natural abundance technique. Biomass production was 7377 kg ha−1 (930 kg ha−1 for white clover and 6447 kg ha−1 for Pinto peanut) at the first site over the 14-month period from December 2014 to January 2016, and 4467 kg ha−1 (1114 kg ha−1 for white clover and 3353 kg ha−1 for Pinto peanut) at the second site over the same period. Estimation of N fixation was not possible at the first site, due to a lack of difference in isotopic discrimination between the legume shoots and the reference plant (kikuyu (Pennisetum clandestinum Chiov.)) material. While legume shoots accumulated 157 kg N ha−1 (38 kg ha−1 for white clover and 119 kg ha−1 for Pinto peanut) across the season at site 1, the % N derived from atmosphere (%Ndfa) in legumes was relatively low (50–60% in Pinto peanut during the warmer months and around 30% in autumn and early spring, and from 13 % in April to 69% in September for white clover). The low %Ndfa in the legumes may have been due to low rainfall or molybdenum (Mo) deficiency. Ultimately the legume cover crops contributed an estimated 50 kg fixed N ha−1, which could partially offset fertiliser N requirements of the tree crop. Our results demonstrate the need to quantify N fixation in legume cover crops to assess potential N benefits as opposed to relying on typical measurements of legume biomass and N accumulation.

scholarly journals BIOMASS AND NUTRIENT CYCLING BY COVER CROPS IN BRAZILIAN CERRADO IN THE STATE OF PIAUI

2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
LEANDRO PEREIRA PACHECO ◽  
◽  
MARINETE MARTINS DE SOUSA MONTEIRO ◽  
FABIANO ANDRÉ PETTER ◽  
JÚLIO CÉSAR AZEVEDO NÓBREGA ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Biomass Production ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Upland Rice ◽  
Soil Management ◽  
Brazilian Cerrado ◽  
Crop Season ◽  
Annual Crops ◽  
No Till

ABSTRACT Research on the performance of cover crops in crop systems of annual crops in the Brazilian state of Piauí contributes to increases in yield, greater efficiency of fertilizers and mitigation of environmental impacts. The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of cover crops in terms of biomass production and the accumulation and release of nutrients during the crop season (November to April) in an oxisol in the Brazilian Cerrado in the state of Piauí that was submitted to different crop production systems including soybeans, maize and upland rice. The experiment was established during the 2010/11 and 2011/12 crop years in the rural area near the municipality of Bom Jesus, Piauí. The experimental design was a randomized block in a split-plot array. Different soil management systems (conventional and no-till) were evaluated in the main plots. Different crop production systems consisting of cover crops sown in the off-season (April to November), and annual crops sown during the crop season (November to April) were implemented in the subplots. The crop production systems that included Urochloa ruziziensis and Pennisetum glaucum overseeded on soybeans and Urochloa ruziziensis simultaneously intercropped with maize stood out in terms of biomass production and the accumulation and release of nutrients. Yields of maize and upland rice declined when sown under newly implemented no-till soil management.

Legume cover crops with winter cereals in southern Manitoba: Fertilizer replacement values for oat

2005 ◽  
Vol 85 (3) ◽  
pp. 645-648 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. R. Thiessen Martens ◽  
M. H. Entz ◽  
J. W. Hoeppner
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Trifolium Pratense ◽  
Sandy Loam ◽  
Red Clover ◽  
Canadian Prairies ◽  
Winter Cereals ◽  
Crop Field ◽  
Legume Cover Crops ◽  
Trifolium Pratense L

Yield benefits of legume cover crops in winter/spring cereal systems have not been well documented in the Canadian prairies. The objective of this study was to evaluate the fertilizer replacement values (FRV) of relay-cropped alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) and red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) and double-cropped chickling vetch (Lathryus sativus L.) and black lentil (Lens culinaris Medik. subsp. culinaris) to a subsequent oat (Avena sativa L.) crop. Field experiments were conducted in Manitoba on a clay soil at Winnipeg and a sandy loam at Carman. Alfalfa provided the highest FRV at Winnipeg (51–62 kg N ha-1), followed by chickling vetch (29–43 kg N ha-1), lentil (23–39 kg N ha-1), and red clover (24–26 kg N ha-1). FRV could not be established at Carman, where course-textured soil and low rainfall limited legume growth. Key words: Relay cropping, double cropping, cover crops

scholarly journals Release of Available Nitrogen after Incorporation of a Legume Cover Crop in Concord Grape

HortScience ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 43 (3) ◽  
pp. 875-880 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyle E. Bair ◽  
Joan R. Davenport ◽  
Robert G. Stevens
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Blood Meal ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Sweet Clover ◽  
Hairy Vetch ◽  
Available N ◽  
N Release ◽  
Legume Cover Crops ◽  
Concord Grape ◽  
N Demand

Legume cover crops can be used to provide nitrogen (N) to organically produced Concord (Vitis labruscana Bailey) grape. The cover crop must be incorporated at a time such that subsequent N mineralization is synchronous with plant demand to maximize the amount of N available to the grape plant. The objectives of this research were to 1) evaluate the effectiveness of hairy vetch (Vicia villosa subsp. villosa L.) and yellow sweet clover [Melilotus officinalis (L.) Lam.] in providing N to organically grown Concord grape, 2) examine the synchronization of N release from mineralization after incorporation of cover crops with plant N demand, and 3) compare soluble, more readily available sources of N to legume cover crops in providing N to grape. This work was conducted on two Concord vineyards, one commercial (COM) and one research (RES) vineyard. Both vineyards were overhead sprinkler-irrigated and plots were established in a Latin square design with four or six replicates of each treatment. Treatments consisted of hairy vetch and yellow sweet clover planted in either the spring or fall, 112 kg·ha−1 N added as either urea or blood meal, and a 0 kg·ha−1 N control. Soils were sampled weekly (0 to 30 cm) from budbreak to cover crop plot treatment establishment and were analyzed for soluble (NO3-N and NH4-N) N. Soluble N release in the plots was monitored with ion exchange membranes (plant root simulators). Grapes were harvested and evaluated for yield and °Brix. Legume and fertilizer treatments resulted in increased N availability from grape bloom until veraison. As a result of rapid nitrification, NH4-N was less useful than NO3-N in determining N mineralization patterns. Available N peaks as high as 40 mg·kg−1 NO3-N were well timed with the critical N demand period for Concord grape. Soluble N sources (urea and blood meal) peaked higher than plant sources. No differences were detected between legume treatments. Legume covers did, however, supply more available N per unit of biomass to the soil than a small grain cover. Yield and oBrix varied by year but not by treatment, suggesting that the cover crop or plant and soil N reserves provided sufficient available N to the grape through the study period.

scholarly journals (156) Improved Cover Crop Establishment and Growth Is Related to Planting Date in Organic Concord Grape Production

HortScience ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 41 (4) ◽  
pp. 1080D-1080
Author(s):  
Kyle E. Bair ◽  
Robert G. Stevens ◽  
Joan R. Davenport
Keyword(s):  
Biomass Production ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Seedling Emergence ◽  
Planting Date ◽  
Sweet Clover ◽  
Hairy Vetch ◽  
Weed Species ◽  
Commercial Vineyard ◽  
Concord Grape

Concord grape (Vitis labrusca L.) accounts for a majority of juice grapes produced in Washington State. Because synthetic nutrients are not permissible in USDA organically-certified production systems, legume cover crops are used to supply nitrogen (N) to the crop. In order to supply a sufficient amount of N, the cover crop must successfully establish and produce large quantities of biomass. This study evaluates how the planting date influences emergence and biomass production of hairy vetch (Vicia villosa subsp. villosa L.) and yellow sweet clover [Melilotus officinalis (L.) Lam.] when used as legume green manures. The research was conducted on a commercial vineyard and a research vineyard from 2003–05. Treatments for the study consisted of yellow sweet clover and hairy vetch planted in both the spring and fall. Plots receiving soluble N sources were planted with wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) or rye (Secale cereale L.). Because of the large relative seed sizes of rye, wheat, and hairy vetch compared to yellow sweet clover, these treatments established faster with good stands in 2004. In 2005, clover plots had high emergence and biomass production because of water management modifications. Biomass data from the commercial vineyard in May 2005 indicates that fall-planted vetch produced more biomass than spring-planted vetch. Fall-planted hairy vetch and yellow sweet clover in the research vineyard showed higher biomass production than spring- and fall-planted hairy vetch and yellow sweet clover. When hairy vetch and yellow sweet clover are planted in the fall, they generally have better seedling emergence and biomass production due to the heightened aggressiveness exhibited by competing weed species during late spring and summer.

scholarly journals Advancing Intercropping Research and Practices in Industrialized Agricultural Landscapes

Agriculture ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 80 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Bybee-Finley ◽  
Matthew Ryan
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Soil Health ◽  
Red Clover ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Perennial Grasses ◽  
Governmental Organizations ◽  
Relay Intercropping

Sustainable intensification calls for agroecological and adaptive management of the agrifood system. Here, we focus on intercropping and how this agroecological practice can be used to increase the sustainability of crop production. Strip, mixed, and relay intercropping can be used to increase crop yields through resource partitioning and facilitation. In addition to achieving greater productivity, diversifying cropping systems through the use of strategic intercrops can increase yield stability, reduce pests, and improve soil health. Several intercropping systems are already implemented in industrialized agricultural landscapes, including mixed intercropping with perennial grasses and legumes as forage and relay intercropping with winter wheat and red clover. Because intercropping can provide numerous benefits, researchers should be clear about their objectives and use appropriate methods so as to not draw spurious conclusions when studying intercrops. In order to advance the practice, experiments that test the effects of intercropping should use standardized methodology, and researchers should report a set of common criteria to facilitate cross-study comparisons. Intercropping with two or more crops appears to be less common with annuals than perennials, which is likely due to differences in the mechanisms responsible for complementarity. One area where intercropping with annuals in industrialized agricultural landscapes has advanced is with cover crops, where private, public, and governmental organizations have harmonized efforts to increase the adoption of cover crop mixtures.

Screening cool-season legume cover crops for pecan orchards

1994 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 127-134 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael W. Smith ◽  
Raymond D. Eikenbary ◽  
Don C. Arnold ◽  
B. Scott Landgraf ◽  
Glenn G. Taylor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Red Clover ◽  
Early Spring ◽  
Stink Bugs ◽  
Cool Season ◽  
Crimson Clover ◽  
Annual Legumes ◽  
Legume Cover Crops ◽  
Lady Beetles ◽  
Perennial Legumes

AbstractWe evaluated selected cool-season annual and perennial legumes as potential ground covers to supply nitrogen and to increase beneficial arthropod populations in a pecan orchard. Densities of aphids (Homoptera: Aphididae), lady beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), damsel bug (Hemiptera: Nabidae), green lacewings (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae), brown lacewings (Neuroptera: Hemerobiidae), hover flies (Diptera: Syrphidae), spined soldier bug and other stink bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), and spiders (Araneida) were monitored at 7–14 day intervals during the growing season for three years. Aboveground biomass production and nitrogen content of the legumes was measured for two years. Aphids peaked during early spring each year, with the highest density usually on ‘Dixie’ crimson clover and ‘Kenland’ red clover. Density of lady beetles was positively correlated with that of aphids, but spider densities were not. Other arthropods usually were not abundant. Nitrogen in the tops of the annual legumes ranged from 20 kg/ha to 89 kg/ha when assessed after a single harvest at anthesis; for the perennial legumes it was from 108 kg/ha to 179 kg/ha following two harvests in June and September. We chose two annual legumes (‘Dixie’ crimson clover and hairy vetch) and two perennial legumes (‘Louisiana S-1’ white clover and ‘Kenland’ red clover) for further evaluation.

Optimizing combining green manures and pelletized manure for organic spring wheat production

2018 ◽  
Vol 98 (4) ◽  
pp. 638-649 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammed Z. Alam ◽  
Derek H. Lynch ◽  
Gilles Tremblay ◽  
Rosalie Gillis-Madden ◽  
Anne Vanasse
Keyword(s):  
N Uptake ◽  
Poultry Manure ◽  
Organic Amendments ◽  
Red Clover ◽  
Green Manures ◽  
Common Vetch ◽  
Mineral N ◽  
Total N ◽  
Wheat Production ◽  
The Impact

Well-planned crop rotations and targeted use of organic amendments are critical to success in organic wheat production. The impact of green manure (GMr) type, GMr termination timing, and “Acti-Sol” [pelletized dehydrated poultry manure (DPM); 5-2-3] on organic wheat productivity and quality was evaluated from 2014 to 2016 in Truro, NS, and Saint-Mathieu-de-Beloeil, QC. Crops prior to wheat were soybean or GMr of hairy vetch/oat (HVO), common vetch/oat (CVO), and red clover (RC) (NS site), and HVO, red clover/oat (RCO), and oat (QC site). Trials were split-split-plot designs with treatments of precrops, GMr termination (fall vs. spring), and DPM at 0, 40, 80, and 120 kg total N ha−1. Wheat yields ranged from 1500 to 1800 kg ha−1 if unfertilized with DPM and following soybean or oat precrops. All legume GMrs (HVO, CVO, and RC/RCO) and DPM applications increased grain yield (2000–4200 kg ha−1) and protein content (13%–16%), wheat total N uptake [49–60 kg N ha−1 (QC); 87–125 kg N ha−1 (NS)] and soil mineral N content mid-season and postharvest, and responses were consistently greatest following HVO. Timing of GMr incorporation largely had no impact. Applying DPM at 80 kg N ha−1 was an effective substitute for a GMr precrop.

Nitrogen release from shoots and roots of crimson clover, hairy vetch, and red clover

2020 ◽  
Vol 100 (3) ◽  
pp. 179-188
Author(s):  
X.M. Yang ◽  
C.F. Drury ◽  
W.D. Reynolds ◽  
L.A. Phillips
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Half Life ◽  
Red Clover ◽  
Organic N ◽  
Hairy Vetch ◽  
Inorganic N ◽  
Total N ◽  
Crimson Clover ◽  
N Release ◽  
Legume Cover Crops

Nitrogen (N) release from legume cover crops is a key N source for subsequent crops in rotation. In this study, chopped fresh shoots or roots (<5 mm) of crimson clover (CC), hairy vetch (HV), and red clover (RC) were incorporated into a 50:50 mixture of air-dried sandy loam soil (<2 mm) and washed builders sand at a rate of 300 mg N kg−1. The mixtures were packed in leaching tubes (four replicates), leached with 100 mL of 5 mmol L−1 CaCl2, and then incubated for 10 wk (22 °C, 0.33 bar matric potential) with weekly leaching. Total N and inorganic N (NH4+ plus NO3−) in leachate were quantified and organic N was determined as the difference between total N and inorganic N. More N was released from shoots (63.4%–70.0% of initial N) than from roots (27.3%–50.7% of initial N). Mineralized organic N and inorganic N followed the first order, single N-pool mineralization model [Nt = N0(1 – e−kt); R2 = 0.94−0.99]. Potentially mineralizable N (N0, as % of initial N) was similar for shoots (CC = 75.1%, HV = 74.2%, and RC = 71.3%), but varied for roots (CC = 36.2%, HV = 52.6%, and RC = 53.0%). The N0 pool in shoots had a half-life (t1/2 = ln 2/k) of 11.0, 9.8, and 15.1 d for CC, HV, and RC, respectively; and a half-life in roots of 23.9, 8.5, and 25.7 d, respectively. Hence, HV released its stored N in both roots and shoots faster than CC and RC. The results in this study would help farmers optimize their choice in legume cover crops and termination times to better synchronize N release with crop uptake.

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