Articles
NITROGEN FERTILIZATION FOR SPINACH-BEAN ROTATIONS – A CASE STUDY ON LOAMY SOILS IN BELGIUM
Article number
817_26
Pages
251 – 258
Language
English
Abstract
In the Hesbaye area of Belgium vegetable crops are included into traditional rotations with crops such as sugar beet or potato.
Nitrogen (N) management is required to avoid soil nitrate leaching after vegetable harvesting and negative effects on subsequent crops.
The [spring spinach (Spinacia oleracea L., Chenopodiaceae) bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L., Fabaceae)] succession followed by an autumn-winter period with or without catch crops before the sowing of a sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L., Chenopodiaceae) was studied.
Parameters of the Decision Support System Azobil (INRA, Laon, France) were adapted to the local conditions for spring spinach and bean.
Results show that the Azobil rate for spring spinach (200 kg N.ha-1) produces sufficient yield, quality of product (expressed in terms of nitrate concentration [NC] less than the 2,500 ppm fixed by the freezing industry) and environmental conservation (soil mineral N [SMN] residues lower than 50 kg N.ha-1 on 60 cm profile). Bean after spinach does not need N fertilization to reach the optimal yield and soil N supply is sometimes too high leading to lower quality of beans (NC higher than 350 ppm fixed by the freezing industry or increase of the bean size). Cover-cropping after vegetable crops results in reduced nitrate leaching.
Rye (Secale cereale L., Poaceae) is well adapted, particularly for sowing as a late cover crop: compared with bare soil, a higher reduction of SMN is measured after rye (-80 kg N.ha-1) than after rye-grass (-20 kg N/ha) (Lolium perenne L.). The effects of rye were measured on the N Azobil rate for sugar beet (higher due to the lower SMN residue). Azobil parameters should however probably be adapted to provide a better estimation of the N residues that mineralize after rye during the growing period of sugar beet.
No effect was measured on the sugar beet yield or SMN residue at harvest but the leaf biomass had a higher N concentration (at risk of leaching in the drainage period) which increased after bare soil fallowing compared with that found for rye-grass and rye.
Nitrogen (N) management is required to avoid soil nitrate leaching after vegetable harvesting and negative effects on subsequent crops.
The [spring spinach (Spinacia oleracea L., Chenopodiaceae) bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L., Fabaceae)] succession followed by an autumn-winter period with or without catch crops before the sowing of a sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L., Chenopodiaceae) was studied.
Parameters of the Decision Support System Azobil (INRA, Laon, France) were adapted to the local conditions for spring spinach and bean.
Results show that the Azobil rate for spring spinach (200 kg N.ha-1) produces sufficient yield, quality of product (expressed in terms of nitrate concentration [NC] less than the 2,500 ppm fixed by the freezing industry) and environmental conservation (soil mineral N [SMN] residues lower than 50 kg N.ha-1 on 60 cm profile). Bean after spinach does not need N fertilization to reach the optimal yield and soil N supply is sometimes too high leading to lower quality of beans (NC higher than 350 ppm fixed by the freezing industry or increase of the bean size). Cover-cropping after vegetable crops results in reduced nitrate leaching.
Rye (Secale cereale L., Poaceae) is well adapted, particularly for sowing as a late cover crop: compared with bare soil, a higher reduction of SMN is measured after rye (-80 kg N.ha-1) than after rye-grass (-20 kg N/ha) (Lolium perenne L.). The effects of rye were measured on the N Azobil rate for sugar beet (higher due to the lower SMN residue). Azobil parameters should however probably be adapted to provide a better estimation of the N residues that mineralize after rye during the growing period of sugar beet.
No effect was measured on the sugar beet yield or SMN residue at harvest but the leaf biomass had a higher N concentration (at risk of leaching in the drainage period) which increased after bare soil fallowing compared with that found for rye-grass and rye.
Authors
S. Renard, J.-P. Goffart, M. Frankinet
Keywords
vegetable crops, yield and quality products, leaching, cover crops, environmental respect
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