Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Nitrogen transfer from forage legumes to nine neighbouring plants in a multi-species grassland

  • Regular Article
  • Published:
Plant and Soil Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Legumes play a crucial role in nitrogen supply to grass-legume mixtures for ruminant fodder. To quantify N transfer from legumes to neighbouring plants in multi-species grasslands we established a grass-legume-herb mixture on a loamy-sandy site in Denmark. White clover (Trifolium repens L.), red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) and lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) were leaf-labelled with 15N enriched urea during one growing season. N transfer to grasses (Lolium perenne L. and xfestulolium), white clover, red clover, lucerne, birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.), chicory (Cichorium intybus L.), plantain (Plantago lanceolata L.), salad burnet (Sanguisorba minor L.) and caraway (Carum carvi L.) was assessed. Neighbouring plants contained greater amounts of N derived from white clover (4.8 g m-2) compared with red clover (2.2 g m-2) and lucerne (1.1 g m-2). Grasses having fibrous roots received greater amounts of N from legumes than dicotyledonous plants which generally have taproots. Slurry application mainly increased N transfer from legumes to grasses. During the growing season the three legumes transferred approximately 40 kg N ha-1 to neighbouring plants. Below-ground N transfer from legumes to neighbouring plants differed among nitrogen donors and nitrogen receivers and may depend on root characteristics and regrowth strategies of plant species in the multi-species grassland.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Aerts R, Boot RGA, Vanderaart PJM (1991) The relation between aboveground and belowground biomass allocation patterns and competitive ability. Oecologia 87:551–559

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Askegaard M, Eriksen J, Olesen JE (2003) Exchangeable potassium and potassium balances in organic crop rotations on a coarse sand. Soil Use Manag 19:96–103

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barber LD, Joern BC, Volenec JJ, Cunningham SM (1996) Supplemental nitrogen effects on alfalfa regrowth and nitrogen mobilization from roots. Crop Sci 36:1217–1223

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Belesky DP, Turner KE, Fedders JM, Ruckle JM (2001) Mineral composition of swards containing forage chicory. Agron J 93:468–475

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Braun M, Schmid H, Grundler T, Hulsbergen KJ (2010) Root-and-shoot growth and yield of different grass-clover mixtures. Plant Biosyst 144:414–419

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brophy LS, Heichel GH (1989) Nitrogen release from roots of alfalfa and soybean grown in sand culture. Plant and Soil 116:77–84

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Carlsson G, Huss-Danell K (2003) Nitrogen fixation in perennial forage legumes in the field. Plant and Soil 253:353–372

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Casper BB, Jackson RB (1997) Plant competition underground. Annu Rev Ecol Syst 28:545–570

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dahlin AS, Stenberg M (2010) Transfer of N from red clover to perennial ryegrass in mixed stands under different cutting strategies. Eur J Agron 33:149–156

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Danish Plant Directorate (2010) Vejledning om økologisk jordbrugsporduktion (Guideline for organic agricultural production). http://pdir.fvm.dk/Vejledning_om_oekologisk_jordbrugsproduktion.aspx?ID=2137

  • R Development Core Team (2010) R: A language and environment for statistical computing. http://www.R-project.org

  • Elgersma A, Schlepers H, Nassiri M (2000) Interactions between perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) and white clover (Trifolium repens L.) under contrasting nitrogen availability: productivity, seasonal patterns of species composition, N-2 fixation, N transfer and N recovery. Plant and Soil 221:281–299

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Foster L (1988) Herbs in pastures - development and research in Britain, 1850–1984. Biol Agric Hortic 5:97–133

    Google Scholar 

  • Frame J (2005) Forage legumes for temperate grasslands. Science Publishers, Inc., Enfield

    Google Scholar 

  • Frankow-Lindberg BE, Brophy C, Collins RP, Connolly J (2009) Biodiversity effects on yield and unsown species invasion in a temperate forage ecosystem. Ann Bot 103:913–921

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fred EB, Baldwin IL, McCoy E (1932) Root nodule bacteria and leguminous plants. University of Wisconsin, Studies in Science 52:5

    Google Scholar 

  • Garcia-Ciudad A, Ruano-Ramos A, deAldana BRV, Garcia-Criado B (1997) Interannual variations of nutrient concentrations in botanical fractions from extensively managed grasslands. Anim Feed Sci Technol 66:257–269

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gylfadottir T, Helgadottir A, Høgh-Jensen H (2007) Consequences of including adapted white clover in northern European grassland: transfer and deposition of nitrogen. Plant and Soil 297:93–104

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hakala K, Keskitalo M, Eriksson C, Pitkanen T (2009) Nutrient uptake and biomass accumulation for eleven different field crops. Agric Food Sci 18:366–387

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hardarson G, Danso SKA, Zapata F (1988) Dinitrogen fixation measurements in alfalfa-ryegrass swards using N-15 and influence of the reference crop. Crop Sci 28:101–105

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • He XH, Critchley C, Bledsoe C (2003) Nitrogen transfer within and between plants through common mycorrhizal networks (CMNs). Crit Rev Plant Sci 22:531–567

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hector A, Schmid B, Beierkuhnlein C, Caldeira MC, Diemer M, Dimitrakopoulos PG, Finn JA, Freitas H, Giller PS, Good J, Harris R, Hogberg P, Huss-Danell K, Joshi J, Jumpponen A, Korner C, Leadley PW, Loreau M, Minns A, Mulder CPH, O'Donovan G, Otway SJ, Pereira JS, Prinz A, Read DJ, Scherer-Lorenzen M, Schulze ED, Siamantziouras ASD, Spehn EM, Terry AC, Troumbis AY, Woodward FI, Yachi S, Lawton JH (1999) Plant diversity and productivity experiments in European grasslands. Science 286:1123–1127

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hertenberger G, Wanek W (2004) Evaluation of methods to measure differential N-15 labeling of soil and root N pools for studies of root exudation. Rapid Commun Mass Spectrom 18:2415–2425

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Høgh-Jensen H (2006) The nitrogen transfer between plants: an important but difficult flux to quantify. Plant and Soil 282:1–5

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Høgh-Jensen H, Schjoerring JK (1997) Interactions between white clover and ryegrass under contrasting nitrogen availability: N-2 fixation, N fertilizer recovery, N transfer and water use efficiency. Plant and Soil 197:187–199

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Høgh-Jensen H, Schjoerring JK (2000) Below-ground nitrogen transfer between different grassland species: direct quantification by N-15 leaf feeding compared with indirect dilution of soil N-15. Plant and Soil 227:171–183

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Høgh-Jensen H, Nielsen B, Thamsborg SM (2006) Productivity and quality, competition and facilitation of chicory in ryegrass/legume-based pastures under various nitrogen supply levels. Eur J Agron 24:247–256

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huston MA (1997) Hidden treatments in ecological experiments: re-evaluating the ecosystem function of biodiversity. Oecologia 110:449–460

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kirwan L, Luescher A, Sebastia MT, Finn JA, Collins RP, Porqueddu C, Helgadottir A, Baadshaug OH, Brophy C, Coran C, Dalmannsdottir S, Delgado I, Elgersma A, Fothergill M, Frankow-Lindberg BE, Golinski P, Grieu P, Gustavsson AM, Hoglind M, Huguenin-Elie O, Iliadis C, Jorgensen M, Kadziuliene Z, Karyotis T, Lunnan T, Malengier M, Maltoni S, Meyer V, Nyfeler D, Nykanen-Kurki P, Parente J, Smit HJ, Thumm U, Connolly J (2007) Evenness drives consistent diversity effects in intensive grassland systems across 28 European sites. J Ecol 95:530–539

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kutschera L, Lichtenegger E (1982) Wurzelatlas mitteleuropäischer Grünlandpflanzen. Band 1, Monocotyldoneae. Gustav Fischer Verlag, Stuttgart

    Google Scholar 

  • Kutschera L, Lichtenegger E (1992) Wurzelatlas mitteleuropäischer Grünlandpflanzen, Bd. 2: Pteridophyta und Dicotyledoneae (Magnoliopsida). Gustav Fischer Verlag, Stuttgart

    Google Scholar 

  • Ledgard SF, Freney JR, Simpson JR (1985) Assessing nitrogen transfer from legumes to associated grasses. Soil Biol Biochem 17:575–577

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lewis B, Schrire B, Mackinder B, Lock M (2005) Legumes of the world. Kew Publishing, Surrey

    Google Scholar 

  • Mårtensson AM, Rydberg I, Vestberg M (1998) Potential to improve transfer of N in intercropped systems by optimizing host-endophyte combinations. Plant and Soil 205:57–66

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McNeill AM, Zhu CY, Fillery IRP (1997) Use of in situ N-15-labeling to estimate the total below-ground nitrogen of pasture legumes in intact soil-plant systems. Aust J Agric Res 48:295–304

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mommer L, van Ruijven J, de Caluwe H, Smit-Tiekstra AE, Wagemaker CAM, Ouborg NJ, Bogemann GM, van der Weerden GM, Berendse F, de Kroon H (2010) Unveiling below-ground species abundance in a biodiversity experiment: a test of vertical niche differentiation among grassland species. J Ecol 98:1117–1127

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moore KJ (2003) Compendium of common forages. In: Barnes RF, Nelson CJ, Collins M, Moore KJ (eds) Forages: an introduction to grassland agriculture, 6th edn. Iowa State University Press, Iowa, pp 237–238

    Google Scholar 

  • Moyer-Henry KA, Burton JW, Israel D, Rufty T (2006) Nitrogen transfer between plants: a N-15 natural abundance study with crop and weed species. Plant and Soil 282:7–20

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nyfeler D, Huguenin-Elie O, Matthias S, Frossard E, Luscher A (2011) Grass-legume mixtures can yield more nitrogen than legume pure stands due to mutual stimulation of nitrogen uptake from symbiotic and non-symbiotic sources. Agric Ecosyst Environ 140:155–163

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Palta JA, Fillery IR, Mathews EL, Turner NC (1991) Leaf feeding of [N-15]Urea for labeling wheat with nitrogen. Aust J Plant Physiol 18:627–636

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Paynel F, Lesuffleur F, Bigot J, Diquelou S, Cliquet JB (2008) A study of N-15 transfer between legumes and grasses. Agron Sustain Dev 28:281–290

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Peoples MB, Faizah AW, Rerkasem B and Herridge DF (1989) Methods for evaluating nitrogen fixation by nodulated legumes in the field. Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, Canberra

    Google Scholar 

  • Picasso VD, Brummer EC, Liebman M, Dixon PM, Wilsey BJ (2008) Crop species diversity affects productivity and weed suppression in perennial polycultures under two management strategies. Crop Sci 48:331–342

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pirhofer-Walzl K, Søegaard K, Høgh-Jensen H, Eriksen J, Sanderson MA, Rasmussen J, Rasmussen J (2011) Forage herbs improve mineral composition of grassland herbage (in press)

  • Rasmussen J, Eriksen J, Jensen ES, Esbensen KH, Høgh-Jensen H (2007) In situ carbon and nitrogen dynamics in ryegrass-clover mixtures: transfers, deposition and leaching. Soil Biol Biochem 39:804–815

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sanderson MA, Labreveux M, Hall MH, Elwinger GF (2003) Nutritive value of chicory and English plantain forage. Crop Sci 43:1797–1804

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sanderson MA, Soder KJ, Muller LD, Klement KD, Skinner RH, Goslee SC (2005) Forage mixture productivity and botanical composition in pastures grazed by dairy cattle. Agron J 97:1465–1471

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Skinner RH (2008) Yield, root growth, and soil water content in drought-stressed pasture mixtures containing chicory. Crop Sci 48:380–388

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smidt NW, Brimer L (2005) The use of herbs in pastures: an interview survey among bio-dynamic and organic farmers with dairy cattle. Agric Hum Values 22:355–363

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith S, Read D (2008) Mycorrhizal symbiosis. Academic, San Diego

    Google Scholar 

  • Søegaard K, Eriksen J, Askegaard M (2008) Herbs in grasslands – effect of slurry and grazing/cutting on species composition and nutritive value. In: Hopkins A, Gustafsson T, Bertilsson J, Dalin G, Nilsdotter-Linde N, Spörndly E (eds) Biodiversity and animal feed, 13th edn. Uppsala, Sweden, pp 200–202

    Google Scholar 

  • Soil Survey Staff (1998) Ultisols. In: Soil Survey Staff (ed) Keys to soil taxonomy. United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Washington, pp 267–269

    Google Scholar 

  • Ta TC, Faris MA (1987) Species variation in the fixation and transfer of nitrogen from legumes to associated grasses. Plant and Soil 98:265–274

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tilman D, Downing JA (1994) Biodiversity and stability in grasslands. Nature 367:363–365

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tilman D, Knops J, Wedin D, Reich P, Ritchie M, Siemann E (1997) The influence of functional diversity and composition on ecosystem processes. Science 277:1300–1302

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tilman D, Knops J, Wedin D, Reich P (2002) Plant diversity and composition: effects on productivity and nutrient dynamics of experimental grasslands. In: Loreau M, Naeem S, Inchausti P (eds) Biodiversity and ecosytem functioning: synthesis and perspectives, 1st edn. Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp 21–35

    Google Scholar 

  • Tomm GO, Vankessel C, Slinkard AE (1994) Bidirectional transfer of nitrogen between alfalfa and bromegrass - Short and long-term evidence. Plant and Soil 164:77–86

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • van der Heijden MGA, Horton TR (2009) Socialism in soil? The importance of mycorrhizal fungal networks for facilitation in natural ecosystems. J Ecol 97:1139–1150

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Whitehead DC (1995) Grassland nitrogen. CABI Publishing, Wallingford

    Google Scholar 

  • Wichern F, Eberhardt E, Mayer J, Joergensen RG, Muller T (2008) Nitrogen rhizodeposition in agricultural crops: methods, estimates and future prospects. Soil Biol Biochem 40:30–48

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Anja Hecht-Ivø for help with N and 15N analyses and the workers from the Research Farm Foulumgaard for practical support. We are also grateful to the International Centre for Research in Organic Food Systems (ICROFS) who funded the project.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Agriculture and Ecology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Højbakkegaard Allé 9, 2630, Taastrup, Denmark

    Karin Pirhofer-Walzl & Jesper Rasmussen

  2. Department of Agroecology and Environment, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Aarhus University, Blichers Allé 20, 8830, Tjele, Denmark

    Jim Rasmussen, Jørgen Eriksen & Karen Søegaard

  3. Faculty of Science and Technology, Department of Policy Analysis, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000, Roskilde, Denmark

    Henning Høgh-Jensen

Authors
  1. Karin Pirhofer-Walzl
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jim Rasmussen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Henning Høgh-Jensen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Jørgen Eriksen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Karen Søegaard
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Jesper Rasmussen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Karin Pirhofer-Walzl.

Additional information

Responsible Editor: Katja Klumpp.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Pirhofer-Walzl, K., Rasmussen, J., Høgh-Jensen, H. et al. Nitrogen transfer from forage legumes to nine neighbouring plants in a multi-species grassland. Plant Soil 350, 71–84 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-011-0882-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-011-0882-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation