Termination method and time of agro-ecological service crops influence soil mineral nitrogen, cabbage yield and root growth across five locations in Northern and Western Europe

Hefner, Margita; Canali, Stefano; Willekens, Koen; Lootens, Peter; Deltour, Pauline; Beeckman, Annelies; Arlotti, Donatienne; Tamm, K.; Bender, I.B.; Labouriau, Rodrigo; Kristensen, Hanne Lakkenborg

doi:10.1016/j.eja.2020.126144

Cited by 13 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…4). Other yield-limiting factors in previous research, including preemptive competition from cover crops and low N availability, even when fertilizer in excess of recommended rates has been applied, appear to have not been constraints in the no-till/tarp system (Hefner et al, 2020;Leavitt et al, 2011;Mochizuki et al, 2008). Tarps can affect soil temperature and moisture dynamics in two key ways that may explain why N availability appears to have not been a yield-limiting factor in no-till/tarp.…”

Section: Fieldmentioning

confidence: 93%

Tarping Cover Crops Facilitates Organic No-till Cabbage Production and Suppresses Weeds

Lounsbury

Lounsbury²,

Warren

et al. 2022

horts

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Small-scale vegetable farmers are interested in cover crops and reduced tillage, but scale-appropriate technology and equipment are necessary to expand these practices to the growing segment of small farms. We sought to determine the efficacy of tarps, an increasingly popular tool on small farms, to end overwintering cover crops and provide weed suppression for subsequent no-till cabbage production. In three fields over two seasons in Maine, we grew a winter rye (Secale cereale L.) and hairy vetch (Vicia villosa L.) cover crop, which we managed by a factorial combination of tillage (no-till, till) and tarping (tarp, no-tarp) in June, followed by a transplanted cabbage crop (Brassica oleracea L. var. Capitata) in July. Within each treatment, subplots were either weeded by hand or left unweeded. Cover crop biomass ranged from 2.8 to 4.5 Mg⋅ha−1. Mean cabbage weights in the novel no-till system (no-till/tarp) were greater than (year 1) or equal to (year 2) those in tillage-based systems (till/no-tarp and till/tarp). In year 1, the mean cabbage weight in weeded subplots was 48% greater in no-till/tarp than in till/no-tarp systems. In unweeded subplots, this difference was 270%, highlighting the efficacy of the no-till/tarp system to reduce the impact of weeds. In year 2, weed biomass was higher with all treatments than it was in year 1, and unweeded subplots failed to produce marketable heads (i.e., >300 g). The mean cabbage weight in weeded subplots was equal among no-till/tarp, till/tarp, and till/no-tarp systems. Tarping had a strong effect on weed biomass and weed community composition measured at the time of cabbage harvest in unweeded subplots. In year 1, weed biomass at the time of cabbage harvest with tarp treatments was less than half that with no-tarp treatments. Tarps effectively facilitated the cover crop mulch-based no-till system. We propose that this system is an adaptive strategy for farmers affected by climate change. However, both cover crop production and tarping shorten the growing season. We discuss tradeoffs and opportunity costs using the metric of growing degree days.

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Section: Fieldmentioning

confidence: 93%

Tarping Cover Crops Facilitates Organic No-till Cabbage Production and Suppresses Weeds

Lounsbury

Lounsbury²,

Warren

et al. 2022

horts

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“…Cover crops, green manures, and catch crops are also defined as Agro-ecological service crops (ASCs) [81]. ASCs bring numerous benefits to agriculture (Figure 1).…”

Section: Cover Crops Green Manures and Catch Cropsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The different ASCs can have different effects on the accumulation of mineral nitrogen in the soil. Cereal crops consume nitrogen [83,85], while legumes fix nitrogen and make it available for subsequent crops [81]. The simultaneous use of cereals and legumes could reduce both the consumption of nitrogen fertilizers and nitrogen leaching [83].…”

Section: Cover Crops Green Manures and Catch Cropsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Hefner et al [81] compared the full incorporation and roller crimping techniques of legume and cereal ASCs (pea, pea/cereal mixtures, and cereals) to understand nitrogen turnover in soil and in organically cultivated cabbage plants in three regions of Northern and Eastern Europe, Estonia, Denmark, and Belgium, considering two cultivation cycles. The authors showed that ASCs reduced N availability for cabbage plants from 37% to 73%, compared to bare soil, in particular with cereals.…”

Section: Cover Crops Green Manures and Catch Cropsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Fate of Nitrogen from Soil to Plants: Influence of Agricultural Practices in Modern Agriculture

2021

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Nitrogen is an element present on Earth in different forms, such as gaseous in the air, dissolved in water, immobilized in the soil, as well as biologically bound in all living organisms. The transition from one form to another constitutes the nitrogen cycle. Current agricultural systems rely on nitrogen fertilizers, which represent the reactive or biologically available nitrogen in soil. The excessive presence of reactive nitrogen in the environment has become a threat to soil, water, and air. The increasing demands for food in the world are associated with significant increase in nitrogen fertilizers inputs which threatens the environment and living organisms. The quantities of nitrogen used per capita in developed countries exceed those in developing countries. However, developed countries are regulated by restrictions of fertilizers inputs in agriculture, whereas such regulations do not exist in most of the developing countries. The need to resort to alternative and eco-sustainable strategies to mitigate the pollution related to human activities, is increasingly evident. This review aims to highlight the fate of nitrogen through the main agricultural practices in modern agriculture. Special attention was given to rocket (Eruca sativa) which is considered a nitrate hyper-accumulator and was used as a case study in the present review. Finally, some eco-sustainable solutions, useful for mitigating or preventing the excessive release of harmful forms of nitrogen into the environment, were also discussed.

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“…Dit beste moment en de gewenste methode kunnen per groenbemestergewas verschillen en afhangen van de vereisten voor het volggewas. Enig onderzoek naar het moment en de methode van inwerken is onder andere gedaan door Alonso-Ayuso et al (2014), Bavougian et al (2019), Carver et al (2020, Coppens et al (2007), Hefner et al (2020) en Wagger (1989).…”

Section: 2unclassified

Groenbemesters : Een overzicht van kennisvragen

Dekkers¹,

Haagsma²

2021

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Termination method and time of agro-ecological service crops influence soil mineral nitrogen, cabbage yield and root growth across five locations in Northern and Western Europe

Cited by 13 publications

References 36 publications

Tarping Cover Crops Facilitates Organic No-till Cabbage Production and Suppresses Weeds

Tarping Cover Crops Facilitates Organic No-till Cabbage Production and Suppresses Weeds

The Fate of Nitrogen from Soil to Plants: Influence of Agricultural Practices in Modern Agriculture

Groenbemesters : Een overzicht van kennisvragen

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