Nitrogen from Legume Cover Crops for No‐Tillage Corn¹

Abstract

Many of the advantages of no-tillage crop production are due to the presence of a mulch from a cover crop or from crop residue. Legumes can be used to provide the mulch and biologically fixed N to nonlegumes in the system. Field experiments were conducted from 1977 through 1981 to determine the amount of biologically fixed N provided to no-tillage corn (Zea mays L.) by winter annual legume cover crops of hairy vetch ( Yicia villosa Roth), big flower vetch ( Yicia grandiflora W. Koch var. Kitailbeliana), and crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum L.). The legumes were compared to a co,ver of corn residue only and a cover crop of rye (Secale cereale L.). The soil was a Maury silt loam (Typic Paleudalfs, fine-silty, mixed, mesic). Fertilizer N treatments of 0, 50, and 100 kg ha·• were combined with each cover treatment. Corn was planted by no-tillage directly into the cover treatments and the cover crops were killed with herbicides. Hairy vetch produced more dry matter with a higher N percentage which resulted in a higher N concentration in corn plants and substantially more inorganic N (KCI extractable NHt and

Leguminosas e adubação mineral como fontes de nitrogênio para o milho em sistemas de preparo do solo

“…A maioria dos benefícios das leguminosas no aumento do rendimento das culturas econômicas tem sido atribuída ao incremento da disponibilidade de N (Baldock & Musgrave, 1980;Fleming et al, 1981;Ebelhar et al, 1984;Teixeira et al, 1994;Aita et al, 1994). Embora grande quantidade de N possa existir na parte aérea das culturas de cobertura, a real quantidade de N que será aproveitada pela cultura em sucessão irá depender do sincronismo entre a decomposição da fitomassa e a taxa de demanda da cultura econômica.…”

Living Mulch with White Clover Improves Phosphorus Nutrition of Maize of Early Growth Stage

“…In several cases, a forage crop or a winter cereal is used as the cover crop. The use of a legume as cover crop is beneficial to the supply of biological nitrogen to the main crop (Mitchell and Tee1 1977; Ebelhar et al 1984; Blevins et al 1990). …”

Effect of 15n-labeled hairy vetch and nitrogen fertilization on maize nutrition and yield under no-tillage¹

“…Hairy vetch is a particularly important cover crop, due its efficiency in biological nitrogen fixation (BNF), providing N-rich crop residues that improve soil fertility and reduce erosion (Ebelhar et al, 1984;Aita et al, 2001). Therefore, the main effect of hairy vetch on maize yield has been associated to an increased soil N availability .…”