Abstract
The objective of our work was to investigate innovative sustainable cropping systems to produce regular yields of wheat with a satisfactory grain protein concentration in organic farming systems. Achieving good production levels in stockless French organic farming systems is a major challenge due to strong N limitation. Our approach is mainly based on a better valorisation of the natural nitrogen resources from soil mineralisation and symbiotic fixation of legumes, and not by an increase in the use of organic fertiliser. Two experiments were carried out in southwestern France where winter wheat and durum wheat were grown for their use in human consumption (bread and pasta, respectively). On one hand, cover crops were sown in summer and were incorporated in early November just before the wheat was sown. On the other hand, wheat was cultivated in mixture (intercropping) with a grain legume such as winter pea or fababean. The cover crops were found to be effective in the case of rainy winter years i) because of their role as a nitrate catch crop to mitigate nitrate leaching and ii) because they made it possible to increase the yield and the protein concentration of wheat grains by increasing available N (role of green manure). In the case of intercropping, wheat yield was reduced in comparison to a wheat crop alone, as expected, but the protein concentration was significantly increased and the whole grain yield (wheat + legume) was increased. Thus, in organic farming, intercrops seem to be more effective for enhancing natural nitrogen resources. However, it is still necessary: (i) to optimise the technical sequences of these two farming systems, and; ii) to determine the role of intercrops within rotations and to analyse their effect for both pests and diseases management, which is crucial in organic farming systems.
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Claims 7
Claim · model-written summary
Cover crops mitigated nitrate leaching in rainy winter years.
Not reportedTaxonComparator
Verbatim
e0“The cover crops were found to be effective in the case of rainy winter years i) because of their role as a nitrate catch crop to mitigate nitrate leaching”
Claim · model-written summary
Cover crops increased wheat grain yield in rainy winter years.
- Taxon
- wheat
Triticum aestivume0 - Treatment
- cover cropse0
- Outcome
- yielde0
- Direction
- increasee0
- Qualifier
- rainy winter yearse0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The cover crops were found to be effective in the case of rainy winter years i) because of their role as a nitrate catch crop to mitigate nitrate leaching and ii) because they made it possible to increase the yield and the protein concentration of wheat grains by increasing available N (role of green manure).”
Claim · model-written summary
Cover crops increased wheat grain protein concentration in rainy winter years.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivume0
- Treatment
- cover cropse0
- Outcome
- protein concentration of wheat grainse0
- Direction
- increasee0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The cover crops were found to be effective in the case of rainy winter years i) because of their role as a nitrate catch crop to mitigate nitrate leaching and ii) because they made it possible to increase the yield and the protein concentration of wheat grains by increasing available N (role of green manure).”
Claim · model-written summary
Intercropping reduced wheat yield relative to wheat alone.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivume0
- Treatment
- intercroppinge0
- Outcome
- wheat yielde0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Comparator
- a wheat crop alonee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“In the case of intercropping, wheat yield was reduced in comparison to a wheat crop alone”
Claim · model-written summary
Intercropping significantly increased wheat protein concentration.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivume0
- Treatment
- intercroppinge0
- Outcome
- protein concentratione0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Comparator
- a wheat crop alonee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“In the case of intercropping, wheat yield was reduced in comparison to a wheat crop alone, as expected, but the protein concentration was significantly increased”
Claim · model-written summary
Intercropping increased total wheat-plus-legume grain yield.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivume0
- Treatment
- intercroppinge0
- Outcome
- whole grain yield (wheat + legume)e0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Comparator
- a wheat crop alonee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“In the case of intercropping, wheat yield was reduced in comparison to a wheat crop alone, as expected, but the protein concentration was significantly increased and the whole grain yield (wheat + legume) was increased.”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors consider intercrops more effective for enhancing natural nitrogen resources in organic farming.
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“Thus, in organic farming, intercrops seem to be more effective for enhancing natural nitrogen resources.”
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