Barley–legumes rotations for semi-arid areas of Lebanon

In arid and semi-arid areas of West Asia and North Africa, including the northern Bekaa Valley of Lebanon, farmers have been increasingly practicing continuous barley cultivation. The objectives of the study were to (1) determine whether barley monoculture is unsustainable¹, (2) ascertain if barley and total dry matter yields can be increased and sustained by including a legume crop in the rotation, and (3) determine which barley–legume rotations are more productive. The trial was set up in a randomised complete block design with two replicates under rain-fed conditions in 1994–1995 at the Agricultural Research and Educational Center (33°56′ N, 36°5′ E, 995 m above sea level). Eight two-phase barley-based rotations were compared: barley in rotation with barley, lentil, common vetch, bitter vetch, common vetch for grazing, medics for grazing, common vetch for hay, and common vetch with barley for hay. Seed and straw were harvested from barley and legumes in the first four rotations. Relative to the trial mean, seed and straw yield under barley monoculture slumped in 1997–1998 and did not recover since then. Infestation of wild barley was a cause of this yield decline. Barley–legume rotations yielded 44–80% more barley grain and 27–53% more barley straw than the barley monoculture over the 6 years (1995–1996 to 2000–2001). Furthermore, in the legume phase, common and bitter vetch gave higher seed yield than barley monoculture. Thus, all barley–legume rotations, except barley–medics, yielded more total dry matter than barley monoculture on the basis of per rotation cycle. Among the barley–legume rotations, the barley-common vetch for seed rotation gave the highest and most stable dry matter yield. In conclusion, barley monoculture was unsustainable, but barley yields could be increased and sustained by including legumes in the rotation. Farmers in semi-arid areas of Lebanon should discontinue practicing barley monoculture and adopt a barley–legume, such as common vetch, rotation.     

Effect of Time of Harvest of Vetch (Vicia sativa L.) on Yields of Subsequent Barley in a Dry Mediterranean Environment

The introduction of annual feed legumes into the intensifying systems of barley monocropping in dry-area Mediterranean agriculture would reduce pest and disease risk and increase sustainable productivity. Potential modes of legume utilization by small ruminants — as green grazing, hay, or mature grain and straw — imply different times of harvest removal with possible consequences for the subsequent barley crop. In nine two-year trials, barley following green-grazed common vetch (Vicia sativa) always outyielded barley following vetch cut as hay or harvested at maturity, albeit in some years by small and non-significant margins; mean differences in barley grain and straw yields between green-graze and mature vetch treatments were around 20 %. The main mechanisms implicated are carryover to the barley of small amounts of soil water unused by early-harvested vetch and enhanced nitrogen availability where active vetch root systems were killed by removal of the above-ground crop.     

Early assessment of ecological services provided by forage legumes in relay intercropping

In organic agriculture, weeds and nitrogen deficiency are the main factors that limit crop production. The use of relay-intercropped forage legumes may be a way of providing ecological services such as weed control, increasing N availability in the cropping system thanks to N fixation, reducing N leaching and supplying nitrogen to the following crop. However, these ecological services can vary considerably depending on the growing conditions. The aim of this study was to identify early indicators to assess these two ecological services, thereby giving farmers time to adjust the management of both the cover crop and of the following crop.Nine field experiments were conducted over a period of three years. In each experiment, winter wheat was grown as sole crop or intercropped with one of two species of forage legumes; Trifolium repens L. or Trifolium pratense L. Two levels of fertilization were also tested (0 and 100 kg N ha⁻¹). After the intercropping stage, the cover crop was maintained until the end of winter and then destroyed by plowing before maize was sown. Legume and weed biomass, nitrogen content and accumulation were monitored from legume sowing to cover destruction.Our results showed that a minimum threshold of about 2 t ha⁻¹ biomass in the aboveground parts of the cover crop was needed to decrease weed infestation by 90% in early September and to ensure weed control up to December. The increase in nitrogen in the following maize crop was also correlated with the legume biomass in early September. The gain in nitrogen in maize (the following crop) was correlated with legume biomass in early September, with a minimum gain of 60 kg N ha⁻¹ as soon as legume biomass reached more than 2 t ha⁻¹.Legume biomass in early September thus appears to be a good indicator to predict weed control in December as well as the nitrogen released to the following crop. The indicator can be used by farmers as a management tool for both the cover crop and following cash crop. Early estimation of available nitrogen after the destruction of the forage legume can be used to adjust the supply of nitrogen fertilizer to the following crop.     

Ertragsbildung von getreidereichen Fruchtfolgen und Getreide-monokulturen in einem extensiven und intensiven Anbausystem

Yield formation in cereal-rich crop rotations and monocultures in an extensive and intensive crop-management system
In a long duration trial, conducted from 1979/80 to 1992 at TU-Munich's research station in Roggenstein, the performance of monocultures of winter wheat, winter barley and winter rye, as well as numerous cereal-crop rotations were compared in an extensive and intensive crop-management system. The results obtained can be summarized as follows.
Over the course of 13 years, the influence of the immediately preceding crop on the yield of the main crops was of much greater significance than the rotation as a whole. With winter wheat, no yield differences could be observed between monoculture and cereal crop rotation (if the rotation did not include oats). Oats, rape, field bean, pea, potato and maize as preceding crops, however, in crop management systems, led to, on average, an increase in yield of 13 dt/ha from the following wheat. Winter barley yields were not significantly different in monoculture, cereal crop rotations and crop rotations containing 66% cereals. Furthermore, winter rye yields were the same in monocultures and cereal crop rotations. With all cereals, intensification of fertilizing and chemical plant protection led to a considerable increase in yield, but did not diminish the effects of the preceding crop. Hence, even with the use of modern agronomical techniques it is impossible to compensate for yield losses due to crop rotation.     

The effect of lupins as compared with peas and oats on the yield of the subsequent winter barley crop

New high yielding early maturing cultivars of lupins have been introduced in north-west Europe as grain protein crops in crop rotations. This paper reports on a comparative study of lupins with peas and oats, and of their effect on yield of subsequent winter barley crops. These crops were given five levels of N under irrigated and non-irrigated conditions on sand and loam. Under rain fed conditions the grain yield of pea, oat and lupin varied between 24–36, 34–53 and 18–37 hkg DM ha⁻¹, respectively. Supplemental irrigation raised grain yield of oat to 50–60 hkg DM ha⁻¹, while grain yield in pea was not affected and grain yield in lupin in most cases decreased due to gray mould attack and excessive vegetative growth in the indeterminate lupin variety. Under rain fed conditions, the grain nitrogen content of pea, oat and lupin varied between 137–172, 61–80 and 189–226 kg N ha⁻¹, respectively, and was significantly higher in lupin as compared with pea. On sandy soil, similar low-root densities were found for pea, oat and lupin below 30 cm depth. On sand, at final harvest the residual soil-N of lupin and pea, as measured in a subsequent winter barley crop not supplied with N fertilizer, was 15 and 8–10 kg N ha⁻¹ higher than in winter barley following oat, respectively. The nature of the probably more N-root residues of lupin is discussed. On loam, the residual N of lupin and pea was similar, 18–27 kg N ha⁻¹. On sand, under rain fed conditions preceding lupin and pea as compared with oat, increased the barley grain yield at zero N-application 77 and 49%, respectively; the effect of lupin was significantly higher than that of pea until the highest N-level 120 kg N-application ha⁻¹. On loam under rain fed conditions preceding lupin and pea increased the barley grain yield at zero N-application by 36 and 62%, respectively, as compared with oat; at N-application>60 kg N ha⁻¹ the grain yield was similar after all three crops. For both soil types the same level of effect was found under irrigated conditions. Conclusions: Supplemental irrigation might result in lower grain yield in lupin due to gray mould attack and excessive growth if indeterminate lupin varieties are used. Grain nitrogen yield of lupin is significantly higher than that of pea. On sand, the effect of lupin on the subsequent winter barley grain yield is significantly higher than that of pea, probably due to greater N-root nitrogen residues. On loam, lupin and pea have similar effects on the subsequent winter barley crop.     

Effect of Legume Management on Forage Production and Residual Effects on Upland Rice

An experiment was conducted over the period 1995–96 in a warm-temperate environment in Nepal to investigate the effect of cutting frequency on forage yields of three temperate legume species, grown during the winter season, and the residual treatment effects on a subsequent upland rice crop. The three species, Persian clover ( Trifolium resupinatum ), white clover ( Trifolium repens ) and vetch ( Vicia benghalensis ), proved to be well adapted to the winter growing conditions and produced cumulative forage yields between 6.8 t DM ha⁻¹ (vetch) and 9.2 t DM ha⁻¹ (Persian clover). Vetch grew vigorously throughout the winter months and provided reasonable forage yields between December and February, whereas the clovers provided green fodder up to July. These species may therefore make a substantial contribution to alleviating the severe shortage of quality feed during the winter months. Grain yields of the subsequent rice crop ranged from 3.6 to 7.3 t ha⁻¹. Rice yields were greatly affected by the previous legume species and forage management practices. In general, the removal of legume forage greatly reduced the residual effect, and farmers will have to seek a compromise between maximizing green fodder production and the immediate beneficial residual effect of the legume crop on rice yield.     

Transfer of Grain Legume Nitrogen within a Crop Rotation Containing Winter Wheat and Winter Barley

In a crop rotation trial, conducted from 1985 to 1988 at TU-Munich's research station in Roggenstein, the transfer of grain legume nitrogen was evaluated in crop rotations containing fababeans and dry peas as well as oats (reference crop) and winter wheat and winter barley as following crops. The results obtained can be summarized as follows: Dinitrogen fixation by fababeans ranged from 165 to 240 kg N ha¹, whereas N₂-fixation by peas amounted from 215 to 246 kg N ha^?1. In all seasons the calculated N-balance where only grain was removed was positive, with a net gain being on average 106 (peas) and 84 (fababeans) kg N ha^?1. After the harvest of peas 202 kg N ha^?1 remained on the field on average over seasons (158 kg N ha^?1 in the above ground biomass and 44 kg N ha^?1 as NO₃-N in 0–90 cm depth). As compared to peas, fababeans left 41 kg N ha^?1 less due to smaller amounts of nitrogen in the straw. After oats very small amounts of residual nitrogen (33 kg N ha^?1) were detected. After the harvest of grain legumes always a very high nitrogen mineralization was observed during autumn especially after peas due to a close C/N-relationship and higher amounts of nitrogen in the straw as compared to fababeans. In comparison with fababeans, N-mineralization after the cultivation of oats remained lower by more than 50%. During winter, seepage water regularly led to a considerable decrease of soil NO₃-N content. The N-leaching losses were especially high after cultivation of peas (80 kg N ha ^?1) and considerably lower after fababeans (50 kg N ha^?1) and oats (20 kg N ha^?1). As compared to oats, a higher NO₃-N content in soil was determined at the beginning of the growing period after preceding grain legumes. Therefore, winter wheat yielded highest after preceding peas (68 dt ha^?1) and fababeans (60 dt ha^?1) and lowest after preceding oats (42 dt ha^?1). The cultivation of grain legumes had no measurable effect on yield formation of the third crop winter barley in either of the growing seasons.     

Legume Production and Irrigation Strategies in the Aral Sea Basin: Yield,Yield Components,Water Relations and Crop Development of Common Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and Mungbean (Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek)

With world population expected to reach 9.2 billion people by 2050, improved irrigation methods will be needed to increase the productivity of agricultural land and improve food supply worldwide. The objective of this work was to examine the effect of regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) and alternate furrow irrigation (AFI) on the yield and yield components of two legume species (common bean and mungbean) produced as a second crop following winter wheat in Uzbekistan, Central Asia. Water relations and crop development were also examined. The research was conducted during two successive growing seasons in the Fergana valley. Production of mungbean using the severe stress RDI treatment in combination with AFI resulted in the highest yields with the lowest quantity of applied water in 2004. In addition, yields of common bean in the moderate stress treatment were not different from the recommended schedule, although irrigation events were decreased from 4 to 2. AFI did not reduce yields, and it did not interact with RDI to reduce yields further. In general, mungbean yields were higher than those of common bean. The combination of AFI and RDI can allow legume production with reduced water inputs.     

Intercropping fenugreek (Trigonella foenum‐graecum L.) and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) with and without biochar: Tests along a competition gradient

Integrating soil amendment biochar to legume‐based intercropping systems may amplify the intercropping benefits and lead to more sustainable production due to its positive effects on the soil physicochemical and biological environment. Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum‐graecum) is a legume used in an intercropping system in several countries in Southern Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. A barley cultivar and an Iranian fenugreek ecotype were studied in two replacement series experiments to find the best combination of the two species as well as the effect of adding biochar to the soil. Fenugreek and barley were grown in 4‐L pots in five density combinations (20:0, 15:5, 10:10, 5:15, 0:20) with and without application of biochar in sandy loam soil. The biomass, nitrogen (N) and carbon (C) amount of the two crops were measured fifty days after sowing, and the Relative Yield Total (RYT) was estimated. Our results showed that biochar application resulted in a higher total biomass, N and C amount in all combinations of fenugreek and barley. Total biomass was increased by biochar 19.2% when fenugreek was grown alone and 8.1 and 12.9% in series with 25 and 50% barley when biochar was added, respectively. Biochar increased dry matter, N and C accumulation in both crop species in the mixtures. An exception was the C amount of barley which was not influenced by biochar in intercropping. RYT values were largest for biomass, C and N amount in mixtures with 15 fenugreek plants per pot and 5 barley plants per pot corresponding to approximately 400 fenugreek plants per m mixed with 130 barley plants per m². Biochar application increased RYT of the total dry weight by 2.7 and 5.5% in mixtures of 25 and 50% barley plants, RYT of the total nitrogen by 0.8% in mixtures with 25% barley plants, and RYT of the total carbon by 2.7 and 6.6% in mixtures with 25 and 50% barley plants. The RYT values declined with increasing number of barley plants as a result of a less competitive ability of fenugreek when growing in high barley densities. The yield was highest with intercropping but monoculture of barley also resulted in high yields. The total highest yield was found when approximately 130 fenugreek plants per m² were mixed with 400 barley plants per m². Mixtures with 75% fenugreek and 25% barley obtained RYT values larger than 1 for biomass, carbon and nitrogen percentages.     

Is the Companion Crop Harmless to Alfalfa Establishment in the Highlands of East Anatolia?

This study documented the effects of barley companion crop seeding rate and cutting stage on alfalfa establishment in a highland area. Alfalfa was established with barley at seeding rates of 0, 60, 120 and 180 kg ha^?1 and cut at the milk‐dough and ripe grain stages. In most cases, hay yield and composition of herbage were affected by companion crop seeding rate and cutting stage. Total hay yield increased from 3294 to 5131 kg ha^?1 when the companion crop seeding rate was increased from 0 to 180 kg ha^?1 at the milk‐dough stage. Legume and weed growth was suppressed by the companion crop during establishment, but using a barley companion crop decreased alfalfa plant losses in the seeding year. Few residual effects of barley were seen on hay yield in the subsequent year, but residual effects of companion crop treatments on weed suppression continued in all clippings of the second year. The results suggest that alfalfa should be sown with a barley companion crop in highland areas with adequate moisture. The seeding rate for barley is about the same as that for barley grown alone, and the companion crop could be harvested for hay or grain in the establishment year.     

The Effect of Different Preceding Crops on the Development, Growth and Yield of Winter Barley

Reliable estimations of the yield response of winter barley to different preceding crops are necessary for the design of crop rotations.
The grain yield and yield components of winter barley (cv. Tapir ) following either rapeseed, oats, wheat or barley were determined in five years of field experiments on a sandy loam (Luvisol) at the Hohenschulen experimental station near Kiel, Germany, F.R. The growth, development and incidence of take-all ( Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici ) was measured in a total of three years. On average over the five years barley grown after oats yielded 0.8 t per ha (11 %) more than barley following wheat which was mainly due to a higher number of ears per m². Barley following either oats or rapeseed produced a higher dry weight and a larger number of tillers per m² compared with barley grown after wheat or barley. This effect was already-present at the sampling date before winter. Take-all ratings were constantly higher in barley following a susceptible crop, but only reached a severe level late in the season and therefore could not explain the observed differences in growth, development and subsequently grain yield. Since no other pathogens affected the development other non-pathogenic causes must be considered as main causes for the described observations and yield differences.     

Impact of Soil Tillage and Crop Rotation on Barley (Hordeum vulgare) and Weeds in a Semi-arid Environment

Experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of mouldboard‐ or chisel‐ploughing and rotations on barley crops and associated weeds in a semi‐arid location. Two primary soil tillage operations and eight crop rotation‐tillage operation combinations were evaluated over two successive seasons. Drought conditions prevailed (<152 mm annual precipitation) and affected the measured parameters. Barley grown in mouldboard‐ploughed plots had higher biomass compared with chisel‐ploughed plots. Barley grain yield was greater in mouldboard‐ploughed plots in a fallow‐fallow‐barley rotation. Weed species densities varied between tillage systems and rotations. Density of Hordeum marinum, for example, was high in fallow‐barley‐fallow in chisel‐ploughed plots, and was high under more continuous fallow in mouldboard‐ploughed plots. Similar variations were also observed in weed fresh weights and in numbers of seed produced. The results describe the productivity of barley under extremely dry conditions, where an advantage for mouldboard ploughing was observed. The results also indicate the complexity of weed communities in their response towards different tillage‐rotation combinations.     

Multi-model uncertainty analysis in predicting grain N for crop rotations in Europe

Realistic estimation of grain nitrogen (N; N in grain yield) is crucial for assessing N management in crop rotations, but there is little information on the performance of commonly used crop models for simulating grain N. Therefore, the objectives of the study were to (1) test if continuous simulation (multi-year) performs better than single year simulation, (2) assess if calibration improves model performance at different calibration levels, and (3) investigate if a multi-model ensemble can substantially reduce uncertainty in reproducing grain N. For this purpose, 12 models were applied simulating different treatments (catch crops, CO₂ concentrations, irrigation, N application, residues and tillage) in four multi-year rotation experiments in Europe to assess modelling accuracy. Seven grain and seed crops in four rotation systems in Europe were included in the study, namely winter wheat, winter barley, spring barley, spring oat, winter rye, pea and winter oilseed rape. Our results indicate that the higher level of calibration significantly increased the quality of the simulation for grain N. In addition, models performed better in predicting grain N of winter wheat, winter barley and spring barley compared to spring oat, winter rye, pea and winter oilseed rape. For each crop, the use of the ensemble mean significantly reduced the mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) between simulations and observations to less than 15%, thus a multi–model ensemble can more precisely predict grain N than a random single model. Models correctly simulated the effects of enhanced N input on grain N of winter wheat and winter barley, whereas effects of tillage and irrigation were less well estimated. However, the use of continuous simulation did not improve the simulations as compared to single year simulation based on the multi-year performance, which suggests needs for further model improvements of crop rotation effects.     

Grass pea (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Lathyrus sativus</Emphasis>): Is there a case for further crop improvement?

An ideal legume for resource-poor farmers, grass pea [Lathyrus sativus] is a drought tolerant crop that thrives with minimal external inputs. It is grown on 1 million ha throughout South Asia, mainly as a relay crop after rice. It is also grown extensively in Ethiopia, where it is an important legume for human consumption. Traditionally used for human consumption and as a source of animal feed, this protein-rich legume is favoured for its excellent flavour. There is great potential for an expansion in the utilization of grass pea in drought-prone economies, such as Ethiopia. However, L. sativus produces small quantities of a neurotoxin, β-N-oxalyl –L-α-diaminopropanoic acid (ODAP), which, when consumed alone in large quantities, may cause ‘lathyrism’, an irreversible paralysis of the legs. Lathyrism is a medical condition closely associated with poverty in rural areas. Despite efforts in some countries to discourage production of L. sativus, poor farming communities continue to rely on the crop to supplement their meagre diets. As local land races with high toxin levels generally outperform introduced varieties with lower toxin levels, farmers have little option but to continue to grow their locally-adapted varieties. While there has been some success in breeding grass pea lines with low levels of ODAP, crop improvement programmes are scarce and under-resourced. Facing rising food prices and more frequent natural disasters associated with climate change, we should not neglect the ability of grass pea to provide human and animal feed, under conditions unsuitable for economic production of other legume crops.     

Crops and Pasture Rotations at Coonalpyn, South Australia: Effects on Nutrients in Wheat and Barley

A crop rotation experiment was conducted at Coonalpyn, South Australia from 1976–1979 on a deep red duplex soil. The experiment studied the effects of grain legumes, pasture or cereal in the previous season on the yield and nutrient content of wheat and barley. Yields, disease assessments, soil nitrogen and water conditions were reported previously. Cereals following grain legumes generally absorbed more of all the nutrients studied, N, P, K, S, Cu, Zn, Mn, than did cereals after pasture; cereal following cereal was generally intermediate. Effects on barley were similar to those on wheat except that wheat took up much more Cu and Mn. Uptake of all nutrients was increased by rainfall, which was greatest in 1979 and least in 1977, but concentrations were often decreased by rainfall. The effects on nutrient concentrations were variable and smaller than on uptake, except for N, Cu and Mn which were much enhanced by grain legumes as the previous crop. Concentrations of trace elements were generally low, being lowest for Cu in 1977, for Zn in 1978 and for Mn in 1979, particularly in barley. Uptake was lowest in 1977, the driest year, especially for Cu. An attempt was made to relate the seasonal effects on levels of trace elements to the pattern of disease incidence.     

Effects of contrasting seasonal growth patterns on composition and persistence of mixed grass‐legume pastures over 5 years in a semi‐arid Australian cropping environment

Perennial grass‐based pastures are uncommon in phased cropping rotations in south‐eastern Australia, where rainfall often limits production and persistence. The high reliance on pure legume‐based pastures limits overall pasture productivity and has adverse effects on environmental parameters such as weed incursion and ground cover. A field experiment was monitored over 5 years to examine the relative productivity of the temperate perennial grasses, phalaris (Phalaris aquatica) and cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata) and determine whether contrasting seasonal activity enhances their persistence when grown in mixtures with lucerne (Medicago sativa) and annual legumes. Phalaris swards were shown to increase cumulative aboveground biomass by up to 96% and 32%, and in year 5 reduce annual grass emergence by between sevenfold and threefold compared to annual legume and lucerne/annual legume mixed swards, respectively. Only swards that included phalaris maintained ground cover above 70% in each autumn of the experimental period. Swards based on the highly summer dormant cocksfoot cultivar, Kasbah, were generally less productive over all, despite the cocksfoot showing a high level of persistence and good recovery following drought. Grass‐based swards that included lucerne were observed to produce ~35% greater legume biomass than a sward sown only to annual legumes. Cumulative legume biomass was greatest in lucerne swards in the absence of perennial grasses. The experiment was unable to demonstrate a consistent benefit in production and persistence associated with contrasting seasonal growth patterns. However, mixtures containing a range of functional types were consistently shown to enhance productivity over the duration of the experiment compared to less diverse swards. The potential to substantially increase forage productivity and ground cover, while reducing incursion by annual grass weeds, by including well‐adapted perennial grasses in mixtures with lucerne and annual legumes should be utilized.     

Grain yield and quality: does there have to be a trade-off?

The effect of agronomic practices and cultivars on grain yield, grain protein and small grain sievings was examined in field experiments over four years in the winter rainfall wheatbelt of Western Australia. Rotation with legume crops and pastures was the main factor responsible for increasing grain protein percent. Grain proteins were increased by 4-5% for crops grown in good legume pasture rotations compared to continuous wheat rotations, but only by 1-2% by factors such as delayed sowing time, applied nitrogen, cultivar or grass weed control. In legume based rotations, wheat crops sown at their highest yielding times produced proteins in the appropriate ranges for premium paying grades. Applying N fertilisers up to the optimum rates for yield did not result in proteins below the levels required for premium paying grades, except for hard wheats at >11.5% grain protein. Legume rotations and appropriate soil types were required for hard wheats to exceed 11.5% at economic N rates. The yield penalty often associated with high quality cultivars has been reduced or eliminated in the modern cultivars used in the experiments. Some longer season cultivars only produced grain proteins >10% if sown after their optimum time for yield, but sowing at optimum time reduced the probability of producing small grain sievings. Some cultivars were more susceptible than others to producing excessive sievings, especially those with inherently smaller than average seed size. Seed rates up to the optimum for grain yield did not result in excessive small grain sievings except where the site was highly fertile, where the crop was sown too late for optimum yield or where too much N fertiliser was used. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Effects of organic farming on weed flora composition in a long term perspective

In 1987, the Ekhaga Experimental Farm in Sweden was established on a site that previously had been subjected to conventional farming, and has been managed since then as an organic farm. To study the effects of organic farming on weed population development and crop yields, two different crop rotations were designed, one adapted for animals (six fields) and one without animals (six fields). Each field contained a fixed 1 m² reference plot in which all the weed observations were done each year. During the period 1988–2002, number of weed plants in spring and weed biomass at harvest were recorded in the reference plots. No differences in these two parameters were observed between the crop rotations. Number of weed plants in spring did not differ between annual crops and did not increase over the 15-year period. Neither did weed biomass at harvest nor weed species diversity change over the 15 years. The two crop rotations kept weed pressure at the same level as under the previous conventional farming practice. General field observations suggest that invasion of Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop. is occurring along the field borders. Competitive ability of the crop showed to be important in weed regulation. Peas, a weak competitor, had significantly higher weed biomass at harvest compared with oats and winter wheat. Weather conditions during the period from April to September caused weed occurrence and development through the season to vary between years. To improve weed management in organic farming, advisors and farmers should recognise the importance of individual field and farm analyses to design location-specific, farm-adapted crop rotations.     

Demand-driven breeding of food legumes for plant-nutrient relations in the tropics and the sub-tropics: serving the farmers; not the crops!

A number of improved cultivars of food legume crops have been developed and released in the tropics and the sub-tropics. Most of these cultivars have been developed through conventional breeding approaches based on the development of crop varieties under optimum soil fertility levels. Nevertheless, it is hardly possible to say that the varietal provisions made by the past approach have been readily accepted, and properly utilized to boost productivity of food legumes grown by resource-poor farmers. The approach itself did not fully appreciate the actual circumstances of the resource-poor farmers where marginal production systems prevail and the poorest farmers could not afford to use cultivars developed under optimum soil fertility level. Therefore, the limitations and strategic implications of past experiences made to develop crop cultivars need to be analyzed in order to formulate better strategies and approaches in the future. The main purpose of this article is to review the efforts made, the technical difficulties associated with the genetic improvement in food legumes as related to plant-nutrient relations, causes of limited breeding success and thereby draw lessons useful to designing future breeding strategies. The scope of nutrient deficiency stress and the approaches to breeding for plant-nutrient relations are discussed and the need for refining the approach and better targeting of the breeding methodologies suggested.     

Effects of 15N Split-application on Soil and Fertiliser N Uptake of Barley, Oilseed Rape and Wheat in Different Cropping Systems

In intensive farming systems, farmers split up and apply the N fertilization to winter cereals and oilseed rape (OSR) at several dates to meet the need of the crop more precisely. Our objective was to determine how prior fertilizer N application as slurry and/or mineral N affects contributions of fertilizer‐ and soil‐derived N to N uptake of barley (1997), oilseed rape (OSR; 1998) and wheat (1999). In addition, residual fertilizer N effects were observed in the subsequent crop. Since autumn 1991, slurry (none, slurry in autumn, in spring, in autumn plus in spring) and mineral N fertilizer (0, 12 and 24 g N m⁻²) were applied annually. Each year, the treatments were located on the same plots. In 1997–1999, the splitting rates of the mineral N fertilization were labelled with ¹⁵N. Non‐fertilizer N uptake was estimated from the total N uptake and the fertilizer ¹⁵N uptake. All three crops utilized the splitting rates differently depending on the time of application. Uptake of N derived from the first N rate applied at the beginning of spring growth was poorer than that from the second splitting rate applied at stem elongation (cereals) or third splitting rate applied at ear emergence or bud formation (all three crops). In contrast, N applied later in the growing season was taken up more quickly, resulting in higher fertilizer N‐use efficiency. Mineral N fertilization of 24 g N m⁻² increased significantly non‐fertilizer N uptake of barley and OSR at most of the sampling dates during the growing season. In cereals, slurry changed the contribution of non‐fertilizer N to the grain N content only if applied in spring, while OSR utilized more autumn slurry N. In OSR and wheat, only small residual effects occurred. The results indicate that 7 years of varying N fertilization did not change the contribution of soil N to crop N uptake.