Management practices for black lentil green manure for the semi-arid Canadian prairies

Brandt, S.A.

doi:10.4141/p97-091

Cited by 13 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…Allen et al (2011) showed sporadic effects of lentil LGM on wheat protein, with decreased protein in early years of the study. Neither Tanaka et al (1997) nor Brandt (1999) found effects of LGM on wheat grain protein, and Pikul et al (1997) found reduced grain protein in wheat following lentil LGM compared to fallow. The effect of LGM on wheat grain protein depends on sufficient soil water to support mineralization…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 88%

Tillage of Cover Crops Affects Soil Water, Nitrogen, and Wheat Yield Components

et al. 2014

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Annual legume green manure (LGM) cover crops may have potential in dryland wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) production areas where rotation with whole-year summer fallow is practiced. No-till cropland management enhances soil water conservation, possibly enabling cover cropping, but tillage may be necessary to stimulate mineralization of LGM N in time to affect crop yield. A 2-yr LGM-wheat crop sequence study was repeated three times in Montana, with mean annual precipitation of 356 mm. Spring-planted pea (Pisum sativum L.) and lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) The LGM were terminated at first bloom with tillage or herbicide. Post-termination weed control also was accomplished with either tillage or herbicide in a factorial combination with the termination treatments, resulting in four management regimes. Fallow and non-N-fixing cover crop controls were included and subjected to the same management regimes. Spring wheat was grown the following year in subplots with four levels of N fertilizer. Wheat tiller density increased only when LGM was tilled at least once. Tillage also resulted in reduced soil water storage and wheat kernel weight in 1 yr. Effects on grain yield were usually neutral or positive, with pea more frequently having a positive effect than lentil, and interactions with tillage varying each year. Wheat grain protein was increased by pea LGM regardless of tillage, even when LGM did not affect wheat yield, indicating that LGM N supply is accelerated by tillage. Managing LGM in dryland environments involves a tradeoff of soil water for N supply, and tillage affects this balance.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 88%

Tillage of Cover Crops Affects Soil Water, Nitrogen, and Wheat Yield Components

et al. 2014

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“…Generally, N concentration of straw responded in a similar manner as grain for the LGM-(W)-W vs. F-(W)-W systems, but there was little difference between LGM-W-(W) and F-W-(W). Most past studies reported little or no effect of LGM on N concentration of the subsequent cereal crop (Tanaka et al 1997;Brandt 1999), but this might be because these studies were too brief to allow sufficient time for the benefits of the LGM to become reflected in the soil's N-supplying power. Trends in soil NO 3 -N in the 0-to 120-cm depth under F-(W)-W and LGM-(W)-W, measured each spring (i.e., depicting NO 3 build-up after fallow or partial fallow), clearly show the effect of the legume in building the soil's N-supplying capacity, and the gradual widening of the advantage of the legume system over the conventional F-W-W system in this regard (Table 7).…”

Section: Nitrogen Concentration In Grain and Strawmentioning

confidence: 91%

“…Unfortunately, most of the studies reported to date tend to indicate lower or similar yield or protein content of cereal grains that follow LGM compared to those following tilled fallow (Brandt 1996;Zentner et al 1996;Vigil and Nielsen 1998). Generally, yields of cereals following LGM are depressed because the legume reduces available spring soil water thereby putting the subsequent cereal crop at a disadvantage compared to being grown on fallow, even when management is designed to enhance available water via snow harvesting (Zentner et al 1996;Brandt 1999). …”

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confidence: 99%

Long-term assessment of management of an annual legume green manure crop for fallow replacement in the Brown soil zone

Zentner¹,

Campbell²,

Biederbeck³

et al. 2004

Can. J. Plant Sci.

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Long-term assessment of management of an annual legume green manure crop for fallow replacement in the Brown soil zone. Can. J. Plant Sci. 84: 11-22. In the Brown soil zone of western Canada summerfallowing (F) is traditionally used to reduce the water deficit associated with cereal production, but frequent use of this practice results in soil degradation and reduces the N-supplying capacity of soils. Some scientists suggest that an annual legume green manure crop (LGM) could be used as a partial-fallow replacement to protect the soil against erosion and increase its N fertility, particularly when combined with a snow-trapping technique to replenish soil water used by the legume. We assessed this possibility by comparing yields, N economy, water use efficiency, and economic returns for hard red spring wheat (W) (Triticum aestivum L.) grown in rotation with Indianhead black lentil (Lens culinaris Medikus) green manure (i.e., LGM-W-W) vs. that obtained in a traditional F-W-W system. Further, we assessed whether a change in management of the LGM crop (i.e., moving to earlier seeding and earlier turn-down) was advantageous to the overall performance of this practice. The study was conducted over 12 yr (1988-99) on a medium-textured Orthic Brown Chernozem at Swift Current, Saskatchewan. Wheat stubble was left tall to trap snow, tillage was kept to a minimum, and the wheat was fertilized based on NO 3 soil tests. When we examined results after 6 yr, we concluded that by waiting until full bloom to turn down the legume (usually late July or early August) so as to maximize N 2 fixation, soil water was being depleted to the detriment of yields of the following wheat crop. The change in management of the LGM crop since 1993 resulted in wheat yields following LGM equaling those after fallow (due to improved water use efficiency), a gradual and significant increase over time in grain protein and in N yield of aboveground plant biomass of wheat in the LGM-W-W compared to the F-W-W system, plus a gradual decrease in fertilizer N requirements of wheat in the LGM system accompanying an improvement in the N supplying power of the soil. These savings in N fertilizer, together with savings in tillage and herbicide costs for weed control on partial-fallow vs. conventional-fallow areas, and higher revenues from the enhanced grain protein, more than offset the added costs for seed and management of the LGM crop. Thus, our results imply that, if producers seed the LGM in April and turn it down in early July, an annual LGM-cereal rotation is a viable option in the semiarid Canadian prairies; however, one negative consequence of adopting this management strategy is the possibility of enhancing NO 3 leaching.Key words: Nitrogen yields, grain protein, green fallow, summerfallow substitute, economic returns, NO 3 leaching Zentner, R. P., Campbell, C. A., Biederbeck, V. O., Selles, F., Lemke, R., Jefferson, P. G. et Gan, Y. 2004. Évaluation à long terme d'un engrais vert annuel de légumineuses en remplacement de la jachère dans la zone des ...

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“…In many environments, seasonality may relate as much or more to dry or wet periods. Transpiration of soil water by GM poses a major concern for rain‐fed systems in semiarid environments (Vigil and Nielson, 1998; Brandt, 1999). Especially in regions with annual precipitation around 500 mm or less, management of well‐adapted GM such as wheat, pea or lentil ( Lens culinaris Medik.)…”

Section: Green Manure Relationships With Environment and Managementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Green Manure Approaches to Crop Production: A Synthesis

2006

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A green manure (GM) is a crop used primarily as a soil amendment and a nutrient source for subsequent crops. Green manure approaches to crop production may improve economic viability, while reducing the environmental impacts of agriculture. However, such approaches are complex because they depend on interactions between the GM, the environment, and management. We suggest that the research and management techniques developed for synthetic inputs are not adequate for effective GM use. This review provides a conceptual framework to more critically evaluate GM use, and we discuss a limited number of key examples involving GM adaptation and growth, effects on soil organic matter, N release and availability for future crops, and pest control. We explore the deficiencies in our current understanding of GM approaches and argue that economic justification of GM requires provision of multiple services (such as nutrient supply, pest and weed control, and increase of soil organic matter). We propose that future research efforts make improved use of whole systems and participatory strategies to better address both the complexity of GMbased cropping systems and the obstacles preventing farmer adoption of GM approaches.

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Management practices for black lentil green manure for the semi-arid Canadian prairies

Cited by 13 publications

References 14 publications

Tillage of Cover Crops Affects Soil Water, Nitrogen, and Wheat Yield Components

Tillage of Cover Crops Affects Soil Water, Nitrogen, and Wheat Yield Components

Long-term assessment of management of an annual legume green manure crop for fallow replacement in the Brown soil zone

Green Manure Approaches to Crop Production: A Synthesis

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