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Developing strategies for maintaining and increasing soil fertility: cropping systems combining pulses with mulch husbandry
Collaborative Project
Contract period:
10.07.2008
- 30.11.2011
Coordinating institution:
Agroecology and Organic Farming Group
Strategies to improve the performance of organic grain legumes (faba bean and pea) were tested in numerous field trials all over Germany. The key objectives were to evaluate the effect of reduced soil tillage / occasional direct seeding in combination with mulching, cover crops and nutrient supply on crop growth and yield. After reduced soil tillage / direct seeding compared with ploughing crop growth of faba bean and pea was retarded, but compensated in later stages. In the majority of the field trials, when densities of perennial weeds were low, grain yield of faba bean was not higher after ploughing compared with the reduced tillage methods. Nutrient deficiency, e.g. of sulphur, can be a yield limiting factor for faba bean and can be resolved by DRIS based nutrient supply. Non-leguminous cover crops increase net N2 fixation of faba bean. Site specific techniques of reduced soil tillage for faba bean, e.g. straw mulching, are generally possible, if weed pressure of perennials is low. In contrast, reduced soil tillage such as direct direct seeding significantly increases the risk of cultivation for pea.
Collaborative Projects
Proceedings of grain legumes grown with no-tillage and conservation tillage
Leading institution:
Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation
Research projects
Produce of legume seeds in pea seeds
Leading institution:
Faculty of agriculture / landscape management
Research projects
Non-leguminous cover crops and reduced tillage
Leading institution:
Department of Agronomy
Research projects
Reduced soil tillage for faba bean
Leading institution:
Agroecology and Organic Farming Group
