Temporal and Spatial Positioning of Service Crops in Cereals Affects Yield and Weed Control

Elsa Lagerquist (), Alexander Menegat, Anna Sigrun Dahlin, David Parsons, Christine Watson, Per Ståhl, Anita Gunnarsson and Göran Bergkvist
Additional contact information
Elsa Lagerquist: Department of Crop Production Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 75007 Uppsala, Sweden
Alexander Menegat: Department of Crop Production Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 75007 Uppsala, Sweden
Anna Sigrun Dahlin: Department of Soil and Environment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 75007 Uppsala, Sweden
David Parsons: Department of Agricultural Research for Northern Sweden, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 90183 Umeå, Sweden
Christine Watson: Department of Crop Production Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 75007 Uppsala, Sweden
Per Ståhl: The Rural Economy and Agricultural Society, 58576 Vreta Kloster, Sweden
Anita Gunnarsson: The Rural Economy and Agricultural Society, 29192 Kristianstad, Sweden
Göran Bergkvist: Department of Crop Production Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 75007 Uppsala, Sweden

Agriculture, 2022, vol. 12, issue 9, 1-20

Abstract: Leguminous service crops (SCs) can provide multiple services to cropping systems, reducing the reliance on external resources if sufficient biomass is produced. However, rapid light and temperature reductions limit post-harvest cultivation of SCs in Northern Europe. A novel practice of intercropping SCs in two consecutive crops (spring–winter cereal) to extend the period of SCs growth, and hence improve yield and reduce weeds, was tested. Three spatial and temporal arrangements of SCs and cash crops were investigated, as well as three SC mixtures, characterized by their longevity and frost sensitivity. Compared to no SC, the best performing mixture, frost-tolerant annuals, increased grain and N yield of winter wheat by 10% and 19%, respectively, and reduced weed biomass by 15% and 26% in oats and winter wheat, respectively. These effects were attributed to high biomass production and winter survival. However, this SC reduced oat yields by 15% compared to no SC. Furthermore, SC growth and service provision varied largely between experiments, driven by the weather conditions. Extending the SC’s growth period by intercropping in two consecutive cereal crops has potential, but locally adapted species choices and establishment strategies are needed to ensure SC vitality until termination.

Keywords: cropping systems; innovation; relay intercropping; legume service crops; yield; nitrogen dynamics; weeds (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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