Possibilities of using cover crops in clay loam soils of Northern Lithuania
2015
Velykis, A., Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, Joniskelis (Lithuania). Joniskelis Experimental Station | Arlauskiene, A., Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, Joniskelis (Lithuania). Joniskelis Experimental Station | Masilionyte, L., Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, Joniskelis (Lithuania). Joniskelis Experimental Station | Maiksteniene, S., Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, Joniskelis (Lithuania). Joniskelis Experimental Station | Satkus, A., Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, Joniskelis (Lithuania). Joniskelis Experimental Station | Jablonskyte-Rasce, D., Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, Joniskelis (Lithuania). Joniskelis Experimental Station
A range of experiments were conducted at Joniškėlis Experimental Station of the Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry in 2010-2014 with the view of establishing the possibilities of cover crop cultivation and utilization in clay loam Cambisol. The influence of the main and cover crop combinations, straw and fertilization intensity; organic, sustainable and intensive cropping systems with cover crops in the soils of different humus content and reduced tillage combinations with cover crops on plant productivity was investigated. It was established that the most abundant yield was achieved when growing field pea after white mustard which can reduce the amount of free nitrogen in soil and stimulate the fixation of biological field pea nitrogen. The maximum yield of spring oilseed rape was obtained while fertilizing with mineral NPK fertilizer. The straw used as fertilizer reduced plant productivity, the cover crop cultivation mitigated its negative effect inducing straw degradation and nitrogen fixation in organic compounds. The incorporation of cover crop mass in combination with farmyard manure in the sustainable cropping system determined a significant increase in field pea yield compared with the organic system. The yields of winter wheat and field pea were higher in the intensive cropping system compared with the organic one. The yields of winter wheat and field pea in the soil of moderate humus content were higher compared with that in the soil of low humus content. Leaving of cover crops as mulch over winter without any tillage in autumn resulted in the decrease of field pea yield compared with ploughless tillage alone. Spring oilseed rape was less sensitive to the reduction of tillage in the combinations with cover crops compared with field pea.
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