The effect of sowing date on cover crop biomass and nitrogen accumulation
Laen...
Kuupäev
2019
Kättesaadav alates
Autorid
Toom, Merili
Talgre, Liina
Pechter, Priit
Narits, Lea
Tamm, Sirje
Lauringson, Enn
Ajakirja pealkiri
Ajakirja ISSN
Köite pealkiri
Kirjastaja
Abstrakt
Cover crops are important tools for reducing nitrogen (N) leaching from the soil and
improving the nutrition of cash crops. In northern regions with short autumns it is important to
maximise the growing season of cover crops to achieve sufficient biomass and N accumulation.
The objective of the study was to evaluate the biomass and N accumulation of cover crops at
different sowing dates in August.
Field experiment at Estonian Crop Research Institute was conducted in 2017 and 2018 with white
mustard (Sinapis alba L.), phacelia (Phacelia tanacetifolia Benth), buckwheat (Fagopyrum
esculentum Moench), berseem clover (Trifolium alexandrinum L.), field pea (Pisum sativum L.)
and faba bean (Vicia faba L.). Cover crops were sown on August 3, 8, 14 and 18 in 2017 and
August 3, 8, 13, 17 and 23 in 2018.
The two year experiment showed that biomass and N accumulation of cover crops were reduced
with delayed sowings, but the reduction mainly depended on cover crop species.
White mustard, field pea and faba bean accumulated significantly higher amount of biomass and
N than phacelia, buckwheat and berseem clover at all sowing dates in both years. Because of a
rapid decrease in biomass, the optimum sowing time for phacelia and buckwheat should not be
later than middle of August. In both year berseem clover produced the modest amount of biomass
and therefore more suited as spring sown cover crop in Estonian conditions.
Kirjeldus
Article
Märksõnad
biomass, cover crops, nitrogen accumulation, sowing date, articles