A review of leguminous fertility-building crops, with particular ...

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A review of leguminous fertility-building crops, Defra project OF0316 1. Introduction Table 1.2. provides a summary of terms. Table 1.2. Summary of terms N-fixation Refers specifically to process of symbiotic fixation of atmospheric N by legumes Fixed-N The amount of plant N obtained from the atmosphere %Ndfa Percentage of total plant N obtained from the atmosphere Non-symbiotic fixation Fixation of N by free living soil organisms N input in rain and dry deposition N deposited from the atmosphere Plant-N or N-yield Total amount of N in the plant, derived from soil and atmosphere Residue N Total amount of plant N from soil and atmosphere left in the soil after harvest or cultivation of the crop 1.8. Key issues As a part of the wider project, workshops were held with organic growers to discuss the challenges of managing fertility-building crops. The main areas of concern are summarised below: • Optimum crop sequence (including length of build up and break between legumes and/or green manures) • Management of cover crops - options/timing • Rate of release of N from green manures/covers and crop residues • Management of swards (i.e. cutting/mulching/removal/grazing requirements) to optimise N accumulation and minimise losses • N fixation ability of different legume species in UK conditions (including optimum mixes for mixed swards) • Assessment of % clover in mixed swards • N build-up/retention - Interactions with cultivations/seed bed preparation • N build-up/retention - Interactions with pest and disease issues • Bi-cropping • N build-up/retention - Interactions with other nutrients • Management of organic manures • Cost implications • Grain legumes for cash crops These were used as the focus for the review. Written by S Cuttle, M Shepherd & G Goodlass Page 20
A review of leguminous fertility-building crops, Defra project OF0316 2. Rotational aspects 2. FERTILITY-BUILDING CROPS IN ROTATIONS 2.1. Introduction Fertility-building crops can be split into three types: • ‘Nitrogen-fixers’ • ‘Nitrogen-holders’ • Those that affect other general fertility aspects such as soil structure. Whilst important, the latter group are not discussed here except where they impinge directly on N availability. A list of legume species (N-fixers) suitable for UK use is shown in Table 2.1, and non-legume species used as cover crops (N-holders) in the UK are shown in Table 2.2. Table 2.1. Legume species (‘N-fixers’) Forage legumes Trifolium repens White clover Trifolium pratense Red clover Trifolium incarnatum Crimson clover Trifolium subteranneum Subterranean clover Trifolium hybridum Alsike clover Trifolium resupinatum Persian clover Trifolium alexandrinum Egyptian clover Medicago sativa Lucerne/alfalfa Vicia sativa Winter vetch, common vetch Vicia lathyroides Summer vetch, goat Vicia hirsuta/villosa Hairy vetch Anthyllis spp Kidney vetch Onobrychis viciifolia Sainfoin (common & giant?) Lotus pedunculatus (L. uliginosus) Large birdsfoot trefoil Lotus corniculatus Birdsfoot trefoil Medicago lupulina Trefoil, black medick Lupinus alba White-flowering lupin Lupinus luteus Yellow-flowering lupin Lupinus angustifolius Narrow-leafed/blue lupin Grain legumes Pisum sativum Field or threshing peas Pisum arvense Fodder peas, grey peas Vicia faba Field/broad/horse beans, faba beans Phaseolus vulgaris Green/dwarf/French/pinto/navy beans Glycine max Soya beans Lens culinaris Lentil Other Galega orientalis Galega, Goat’s rue Lathyrus spp. Vetchling, sweet pea, chickling vetch Melilotus alba White sweet clover Cicer arietinum Chickpea Castanospemum australe Black bean Trigonella foenum graecum Fenugreek Written by S Cuttle, M Shepherd & G Goodlass Page 21
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