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Faba bean is less susceptible to fertiliser N impacts on biological N2 fixation than chickpea in monoculture and intercropping systems

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Abstract

High nitrogen (N) fertiliser costs and sustainability concerns have increased interest in cultivating legume crops in the inter-row in coppiced plantation crops. Supplemental N fertiliser applications are likely needed in such systems because the availability of legume-derived N may not match peak tree N demand, but this added N fertiliser will likely suppress biological N2 fixation (%BNF) in the inter-row legumes. We hypothesised that some legume species may be less susceptible to N fertiliser-induced suppression of %BNF and are therefore better suited as legume inter-row crops. We compared the impact of four rates of N fertiliser (0, 50, 100 and 150 kg N ha−1) on %BNF in faba bean (Vicia faba) and chickpea (Cicer arietinum) when cultivated as inter-row legume crops in an established Melaleuca alternifolia plantation and as a monoculture in a glasshouse pots trial. N2 fixation was not completely suppressed in either species at 150 kg N ha−1, with around 40 %BNF maintained in faba bean in the field and glasshouse and around 35 %BNF and 23 %BNF maintained in chickpea in the field and glasshouse, respectively. Faba bean had significantly higher %BNF than chickpea at 100 kg N ha−1 when intercropped in the field, and at 100 and 150 kg N ha−1 in the glasshouse, associated with a higher shoot N demand in faba bean. The results suggest that where soil conditions are suitable for either species, faba bean is more suitable as a green manure intercrop than chickpea when supplementary N fertiliser additions are required.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Southern Cross Plant Science, Southern Cross University, PO Box 157, Lismore, NSW, 2480, Australia

    Terry J. Rose, Cecile C. Julia, Mervyn Shepherd & Lukas Van Zwieten

  2. Southern Cross GeoScience, Southern Cross University, PO Box 157, Lismore, NSW, 2480, Australia

    Terry J. Rose

  3. NSW Department of Primary Industries, Bruxner Highway, Wollongbar, NSW, Australia

    Michael T. Rose & Lukas Van Zwieten

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  1. Terry J. Rose
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  2. Cecile C. Julia
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  3. Mervyn Shepherd
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  4. Michael T. Rose
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  5. Lukas Van Zwieten
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Correspondence to Terry J. Rose.

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Rose, T.J., Julia, C.C., Shepherd, M. et al. Faba bean is less susceptible to fertiliser N impacts on biological N2 fixation than chickpea in monoculture and intercropping systems. Biol Fertil Soils 52, 271–276 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-015-1062-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-015-1062-8

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