Abstract
Nitrogen leaching following cultivation of grazed grass-clover on coarse sandy soil Background and objectives When grass-clover is ploughed there is a high risk of nitrogen leaching. The objective of this study was to measure the effectiveness of an early catch crop in reducing nitrogen leaching from coarse sandy soil. Barley as a green crop for silage was undersown with Italian ryegrass in spring and harvested at the beginning of early heading, and the Italian ryegrass was subsequently used for roughage production in autumn. Material and methods Experiments were established in spring 2003 on a commercial organic farm with a coarse sandy soil. Two fields with grass-clover were ploughed. One field, a 3-year-old grass-clover, had formed part of a crop rotation dominated by cereals, and the other, a 5-year-old grass-clover, was part of a grass-intensive rotation grazed by dairy cows. After ploughing the grass-clover, the following treatments were established in each of the two fields: 1) spring barley, harvested at maturity and subjected to mechanical weed control in autumn (“Mature”) and 2) spring barley harvested early as a green crop for silage with an undersown catch crop of Italian ryegrass (“Green”), which was mowed twice in autumn. The treatments were fertilized with 0, 60 or 120 kg ammonium-N ha-1 in cattle slurry, injected in the spring following ploughing. The resultant treatments are called: Mature-0N, Mature-60N, Mature-120N, Green-0N, Green-60N and Green-120N. Leaching of nitrogen (nitrate and total-N) was measured from May 2003 to May 2004 by means of ceramic suction cups installed in treatments fertilized with 0 or 120 kg ammonium-N ha-1. Results and conclusions Nitrate leaching after Mature-0N was 174 and 240 kg N ha-1 in 3-year-old and the 5-year-old grass-clover, respectively, when the soil was kept bare by rotovating twice during autumn. In Mature-120N leaching was 302 and 316 kg N ha-1. In Green-0N and Green-120N leaching was only 7-9 kg N ha-1. This means that the ”Green” treatments reduced leaching by 166-309 kg N ha-1, corresponding to 95-98%. In addition to nitrate leaching, 10 and 30 kg N ha-1 was leached as other N-containing compounds with the highest amount from Mature-0N and Mature-120N after the 5-year-old grass-clover. Yields harvested in Mature-0N were 3.4 and 3.9 Mg dry matter ha-1, and yields harvested in Green-0N were 6.4 and 9.7 Mg dry matter ha-1. A comparison of the treatments Mature-0N and Manure-120N showed additional nitrate leaching of on average 102 kg N ha-1 when 120 kg ammonium-N ha-1 was applied. This is matched by a corresponding lack in yield increase when applying 120 kg N ha-1. In contrast to ”Mature” treatments, leaching from ”Green” treatments did not differ, irrespective of whether manure was applied or not. This can be explained by an additional N uptake of on average 127 kg N ha-1 in Green-120N compared with Green-0N. So in the “Green” treatments most of the manure N was taken up by the ryegrass instead of being leached. The experiments showed that barley used as a green crop for silage undersown with Italian ryegrass could reduce leaching to a minimum. This offers advantages not only for the environment but also for farmers, as a high production of roughage was possible. Besides, the increasing difficulties with clover soil fatigue experienced by Danish organic farmers could be avoided.
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Claims 11
Claim · model-written summary
Green barley catch-crop treatments reduced nitrate leaching by 166-309 kg N ha-1 compared with mature barley treatments.
- Taxon
- barley
.jpg?width=60)
Hordeum vulgaree3 - Treatment
- barley used as a green crop for silage undersown with Italian ryegrasse3
- Outcome
- leachinge1
- Direction
- reducede1
- Value
- 166-309 kg N ha-1e1
- Comparator
- Mature-0Ne4
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
.jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
e1“reduced leaching by 166-309 kg N ha-1, corresponding to 95-98%”
e3“The experiments showed that barley used as a green crop for silage undersown with Italian ryegrass could reduce leaching to a minimum”
e4“Nitrate leaching after Mature-0N was 174 and 240 kg N ha-1”
Claim · model-written summary
Nitrate leaching in Green-0N and Green-120N was only 7-9 kg N ha-1.
- Taxon
- barleyHordeum vulgaree3
- Treatment
- Green-0N and Green-120Ne2
- Outcome
- leachinge2
- Value
- 7-9 kg N ha-1e2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e2“In Green-0N and Green-120N leaching was only 7-9 kg N ha-1”
e3“The experiments showed that barley used as a green crop for silage undersown with Italian ryegrass could reduce leaching to a minimum”
Claim · model-written summary
Nitrate leaching after Mature-0N was 174 and 240 kg N ha-1 in the 3-year-old and 5-year-old grass-clover.
- Taxon
- barleyHordeum vulgaree3
- Treatment
- Mature-0Ne4
- Outcome
- Nitrate leachinge4
- Value
- 174 and 240 kg N ha-1e4
- Qualifier
- in 3-year-old and the 5-year-old grass-clovere4
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e4“Nitrate leaching after Mature-0N was 174 and 240 kg N ha-1 in 3-year-old and the 5-year-old grass-clover”
e3“The experiments showed that barley used as a green crop for silage undersown with Italian ryegrass could reduce leaching to a minimum”
Claim · model-written summary
Nitrate leaching in Mature-120N was 302 and 316 kg N ha-1.
- Taxon
- barleyHordeum vulgaree3
- Treatment
- Mature-120Ne5
- Outcome
- leachinge5
- Value
- 302 and 316 kg N ha-1e5
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e5“In Mature-120N leaching was 302 and 316 kg N ha-1”
e3“The experiments showed that barley used as a green crop for silage undersown with Italian ryegrass could reduce leaching to a minimum”
Claim · model-written summary
Applying 120 kg ammonium-N ha-1 as manure to Mature-0N additionally leached on average 102 kg N ha-1 nitrate.
- Taxon
- barleyHordeum vulgaree3
- Treatment
- 120 kg ammonium-N ha-1e6
- Outcome
- nitrate leachinge6
- Direction
- additionale6
- Value
- 102 kg N ha-1e6
- Comparator
- Mature-0Ne6
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e6“A comparison of the treatments Mature-0N and Manure-120N showed additional nitrate leaching of on average 102 kg N ha-1 when 120 kg ammonium-N ha-1 was applied”
e3“The experiments showed that barley used as a green crop for silage undersown with Italian ryegrass could reduce leaching to a minimum”
Claim · model-written summary
Green-120N took up on average 127 kg N ha-1 more than Green-0N.
- Taxon
- barleyHordeum vulgaree3
- Treatment
- Green-120Ne7
- Outcome
- additional N uptakee7
- Direction
- additionale7
- Value
- 127 kg N ha-1e7
- Comparator
- Green-0Ne7
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e7“This can be explained by an additional N uptake of on average 127 kg N ha-1 in Green-120N compared with Green-0N”
e3“The experiments showed that barley used as a green crop for silage undersown with Italian ryegrass could reduce leaching to a minimum”
Claim · model-written summary
Yields harvested in Mature-0N were 3.4 and 3.9 Mg dry matter ha-1.
- Taxon
- barleyHordeum vulgaree1
- Treatment
- Mature-0Ne0
- Outcome
- Yields harvestede0
- Value
- 3.4 and 3.9 Mg dry matter ha-1e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Yields harvested in Mature-0N were 3.4 and 3.9 Mg dry matter ha-1”
e1“The experiments showed that barley used as a green crop for silage undersown with Italian ryegrass could reduce leaching to a minimum”
Claim · model-written summary
Yields harvested in Green-0N were 6.4 and 9.7 Mg dry matter ha-1.
- Taxon
- barleyHordeum vulgaree1
- Treatment
- Green-0Ne0
- Outcome
- yields harvestede0
- Value
- 6.4 and 9.7 Mg dry matter ha-1e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“yields harvested in Green-0N were 6.4 and 9.7 Mg dry matter ha-1”
e1“The experiments showed that barley used as a green crop for silage undersown with Italian ryegrass could reduce leaching to a minimum”
Claim · model-written summary
Applying 120 kg N ha-1 manure gave no corresponding increase in yield.
- Taxon
- barleyHordeum vulgaree1
- Treatment
- applying 120 kg N ha-1e0
- Outcome
- yield increasee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“This is matched by a corresponding lack in yield increase when applying 120 kg N ha-1”
e1“The experiments showed that barley used as a green crop for silage undersown with Italian ryegrass could reduce leaching to a minimum”
Claim · model-written summary
Other N-containing compounds were leached at 10 and 30 kg N ha-1 in addition to nitrate.
- Taxon
- barleyHordeum vulgaree1
- Outcome
- other N-containing compoundse0
- Value
- 10 and 30 kg N ha-1e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“In addition to nitrate leaching, 10 and 30 kg N ha-1 was leached as other N-containing compounds”
e1“The experiments showed that barley used as a green crop for silage undersown with Italian ryegrass could reduce leaching to a minimum”
Claim · model-written summary
Leaching from Green treatments did not differ whether or not manure was applied.
- Taxon
- barleyHordeum vulgaree1
- Outcome
- leachinge0
- Qualifier
- irrespective of whether manure was applied or note0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“leaching from ”Green” treatments did not differ, irrespective of whether manure was applied or not”
e1“The experiments showed that barley used as a green crop for silage undersown with Italian ryegrass could reduce leaching to a minimum”
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