Articles
Effect of leguminous green manure crops on white cabbage in organic vegetable production in southwestern Germany
Article number
1354_2
Pages
9 – 16
Language
English
Abstract
The cultivation of leguminous green manure crops increases the nutrient supply of the subsequent crop due to mineralization of their residues and exclusive nitrogen (N) input into the soil via biological N2 fixation.
Therefore, the purchase of organic fertilizers in organic vegetable production could be reduced and the internal N flow could be increased.
A field experiment was carried out in 2019 and 2020 in southwestern Germany to investigate suitable green manure crops with high N supply for the use in intensive organic vegetable production.
The winter-hardy crops rye (Secale cereal L.), a mixture of rye with Hungarian vetch (Vicia pannonica Crantz.), winter pea (Pisum sativum L.), and winter field bean (Vicia sativa L.) were sown in October of the previous year.
A bare soil treatment was used as control.
After incorporation of the green manure crops at the end of May, white cabbage was planted shortly after and harvested in October.
The N flow, measured by the green manure crops biomass, cabbage chlorophyll status, and soil mineral N (Nmin) influenced the cabbage yield due to different rates of mineralization of the green manure biomass.
The N content of the incorporated biomass was higher for the legumes pea and faba bean with 156 and 195 kg N ha‑1, respectively, compared to rye (97 kg ha‑1), and rye with vetch (131 kg ha‑1). At the same time, the carbon:N ratio was significantly lower.
The chlorophyll status during head formation of cabbage was significantly lower in the treatments rye and rye with vetch compared to pea and faba bean, and so were the soil Nmin contents at the time of cabbage planting and head formation.
This resulted in higher cabbage yields for leguminous green manure crops compared to bare soil and the cereal treatments rye and rye with vetch.
Therefore, the purchase of organic fertilizers in organic vegetable production could be reduced and the internal N flow could be increased.
A field experiment was carried out in 2019 and 2020 in southwestern Germany to investigate suitable green manure crops with high N supply for the use in intensive organic vegetable production.
The winter-hardy crops rye (Secale cereal L.), a mixture of rye with Hungarian vetch (Vicia pannonica Crantz.), winter pea (Pisum sativum L.), and winter field bean (Vicia sativa L.) were sown in October of the previous year.
A bare soil treatment was used as control.
After incorporation of the green manure crops at the end of May, white cabbage was planted shortly after and harvested in October.
The N flow, measured by the green manure crops biomass, cabbage chlorophyll status, and soil mineral N (Nmin) influenced the cabbage yield due to different rates of mineralization of the green manure biomass.
The N content of the incorporated biomass was higher for the legumes pea and faba bean with 156 and 195 kg N ha‑1, respectively, compared to rye (97 kg ha‑1), and rye with vetch (131 kg ha‑1). At the same time, the carbon:N ratio was significantly lower.
The chlorophyll status during head formation of cabbage was significantly lower in the treatments rye and rye with vetch compared to pea and faba bean, and so were the soil Nmin contents at the time of cabbage planting and head formation.
This resulted in higher cabbage yields for leguminous green manure crops compared to bare soil and the cereal treatments rye and rye with vetch.
Publication
Authors
S. Stein, S. Zikeli, K. Möller
Keywords
vegetables, legumes, cover crop, incorporation, nitrogen
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