Abstract
Aims
Evaluate biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) and its contribution to total N yield in different grass-clover mixtures under a boreal coastal climate and assess how winter conditions affect the survival of clover and its capability to fix nitrogen (N).
Methods
Grass-clover mixtures sown with 0, 15 and 30% red and white clover were subjected to two N rates and three levels of tractor trafficking over four years. BNF was estimated by N-difference for each of the two harvests per year, whereas the first harvest was used to estimate the fraction of N derived from the atmosphere (NdfA) and its transfer to grasses by 15N natural abundance.
Results
Biological N fixation, mainly by red clover, contributed substantially to total N yield, which was up to 75% greater in grass-clover mixtures than in pure grass stands in the second production year. However, the number of red clover plants and associated BNF decreased dramatically in the third and fourth production year, with N fertilization rate having a more detrimental effect than soil trafficking. Conversely, the amount of biologically fixed N transferred to grass, increased with time, evidencing that some of the biologically fixed N is retained in the system. In the first harvests, NdfA values were generally between 80 and 100%, irrespective of preceding winter conditions.
Conclusions
BNF in high latitude grass-clover mixtures can be substantial but is limited by the poor survival of red clover. Variable winter conditions had no measurable effect on winter survival nor on the sward’s capacity to fix nitrogen in spring.
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Acknowledgements
The plant samples were provided by the project “High-protein forage legumes under contrasting management and climate conditions” financed by the Norwegian Research Funds for Agriculture and Food Industry (FFL/JA 199397/I99). Support for additional sample collection was received from the Agriculture and Food Department of the Governor of Nordland County. Isotope measurements and data analyses were funded by the NRC project “AGROPRO - Agronomy for increased food production in Norway - challenges and solutions” (NFR 2255330/E40). Part of the study was realized via the program “Scholarships of IKY in the Marine and Inland Management of Water Resources” and was co-funded by the EEA grants– Financial Mechanism 2009-2014 (85%) and the General Secretariat for Investments and Development (15%). We are grateful to Roberts Sturitis (NIBIO) and Trygve Fredriksen (NMBU) for technical assistance.
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Tzanakakis, V., Sturite, I. & Dörsch, P. Biological nitrogen fixation and transfer in a high latitude grass-clover grassland under different management practices. Plant Soil 421, 107–122 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-017-3435-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-017-3435-2