THE EVALUATION OF THE COMPATIBILITY OF CEREAL AND GREEN MANURE ON THE BASIS OF NUTRIENTS

Abstract

Research was carried out at the Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry’s (LAMMC) Joniškėlis Experimental Station on a clay loam Endocalcari Endohypogleyic Cambisol. The study was aimed to explore the aboveground mass of perennial forage legumes: red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) and lucerne (Medicago sativa L.), and their mixtures with festulolium (x Festuliolium), used as green manure, qualitative parameters and compatibility with cereals on the basis of nutrients nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K). The deficiency of other nutrients (P, K) and intensity of green manure mineralization can lead to N absorption. It has been determined that winter wheat takes one kg of N together with 0.2 kg P and 0.6 kg K. Spring wheat requires a similar amount of P but a higher amount of K. Average winter wheat grain yield can be 4.0 t ha^-1 on a clay loam Cambisol in organic cropping system. NPK content – 134 kg ha^-1 is needed for such productivity (grain + straw). This content is lower for spring winter growing. P:N and K:N ratios are more favourable in perennial forage legume mixture with festulolium, as compared to legume alone. To obtain grain yields of 4 t ha^-1 of winter wheat and 3 t ha^-1 of spring wheat in balanced organic crop rotation it is sufficient to apply 3.0 and 2.0 t ha^-1 DM of pure legume mass as green manure. “Cut-and-carry” fertilisers do not satisfy the wheat demand for P.

Keywords: green manure, nitrogen, organic farming, phosphorus, potassium, yields of cereals

Article DOI: http://doi.org/10.15544/RD.2017.039