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Growth, composition, biological N2 fixation and nutrient uptake of a leguminous cover crop mixture and the effect of their removal on field nitrogen balances and nitrate leaching risk

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Abstract

Cover crops (CC) are an important source of nitrogen (N) in organic farming systems. Only few data are available about the effect of management activities (liquid slurry amendments, crop residue management) on growth, nutrient uptake and biological N2 fixation (BNF) of a CC mixture. Furthermore, little information is available about the effect of CC harvesting on nutrient flows, nitrate leaching risk and soil mineral N supply of the succeeding main crop. The objectives of the presented field trials were (1) to measure the impact of organic manuring (straw residues and liquid slurry applications) on growth, composition, and BNF of a CC mixture with legumes and oil radish as components; (2) to determine the effect of CC species composition on nutrient content and uptake (N, P, K, Mg); and (3) to evaluate the effect of CC removal on field N balances and nitrate leaching risk. A CC mixture with legumes and non-legumes was able to compensate for many environmental and cultivation effects by influencing the competitive ability of the partners. For example, an increase of soil N supply due to additions of slurry or removal of cereal straw promoted growth of non-legumes at the expense of the legumes, resulting in N shortage at the end of the growing period, as shown by lower N contents and a wider C/N ratio of the non-legume partner. Low N availability at the beginning of the CC growth enhanced legume growth and/or reduced non-legume growth, resulting in a higher N supply in later periods of CC growth. A high legume percent composition within a CC mixture increases overall N content in the aboveground biomass and the N content of non-legumes within the mixture, and decreases the C/N ratio. Large amounts of nutrients were removed from the field by the harvesting of the CC aboveground biomass, significantly reducing the nitrate leaching risk. However, a reduction of the nitrate leaching risk was found only on fields where the green manure was incorporated in autumn.

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Abbreviations

BNF:

Biological di-nitrogen fixation

C:

carbon

CC:

cover crop

DM:

dry matter yield

DS:

digested slurry treatment

DS + FER:

digestion of slurry, crop residues and purchased substrates treatment

DS + FR:

digestion of slurry and crop residues treatment

FYM:

farmyard manure treatment

K:

potassium

N:

Nitrogen

Ndfa :

Nitrogen derived from atmosphere

P:

phosphorus

SMN:

Soil mineral N

US:

undigested slurry treatment

wL:

usual stockless management treatment

wL-FR:

stockless management with digestion of field residues treatment

wL-FER:

stockless management with digestion of field residues and purchased substrates treatment

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Acknowledgement

The authors wish to thank Gokce Tas, Gisem Öztürk, Alicia Cortinas Vicente, and Josko Koren for technical assistance provided. The authors wish to thank “Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt” for the financial support of the present experiments.

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  1. Professur für Organischen Landbau, Justus Liebig-Universität Gießen, Karl Glöckner-Str. 21c, 35394, Giessen, Germany

    Kurt Möller, Walter Stinner & Günter Leithold

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  1. Kurt Möller
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  2. Walter Stinner
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  3. Günter Leithold
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Correspondence to Kurt Möller.

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Möller, K., Stinner, W. & Leithold, G. Growth, composition, biological N2 fixation and nutrient uptake of a leguminous cover crop mixture and the effect of their removal on field nitrogen balances and nitrate leaching risk. Nutr Cycl Agroecosyst 82, 233–249 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10705-008-9182-2

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