Soil Mineral Nitrogen and Mobile Organic Carbon as Affected by Winter Wheat Strip Tillage and Forage Legume Intercropping

Viktorija Gecaite, Jurgita Ceseviciene () and Ausra Arlauskiene
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Viktorija Gecaite: Joniškėlis Experimental Station, Institute of Agriculture, Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, Pasvalys Distr., 39301 Joniškėlis, Lithuania
Jurgita Ceseviciene: Chemical Research Laboratory, Institute of Agriculture, Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, Instituto av. 1, Kėdainiai Distr., 58344 Akademija, Lithuania
Ausra Arlauskiene: Joniškėlis Experimental Station, Institute of Agriculture, Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, Pasvalys Distr., 39301 Joniškėlis, Lithuania

Agriculture, 2024, vol. 14, issue 9, 1-16

Abstract: Diversifying crop rotations by incorporating legumes is recommended to enhance the resilience of agricultural systems against environmental stresses and optimize nitrogen utilization. Nonetheless, ploughing forage legumes or grass-legumes poses a significant risk of nitrate leaching. The study aimed to assess the impact of strip tillage intercropping management on soil mineral nitrogen, water-extractable organic carbon, mobile humic substances content, and winter wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) grain yield compared to forage legume and winter wheat monocropping with conventional tillage. In the intercropping systems, the following bicrops were used: black medick ( Medicago lupulina L.) with winter wheat, white clover ( Trifolium repens L.) with winter wheat, and Egyptian clover ( Trifolium alexandrinum L.) with winter wheat. Research was conducted in two experiments. The results indicated that after implementing strip tillage and winter wheat intercropping, the soil mineral nitrogen content was similar to or lower than that observed in conventional tillage and winter wheat sowing after forage legumes. Winter wheat grain yield in intercrops decreased compared to the legumes monocultures that were ploughed before winter wheat sowing. The highest amount of water- extractable organic carbon was in intercropping growing white clover and winter wheat bicrops or in all fields (except Egyptian clover and winter wheat bicrops) after applying strip tillage. During the research period, the quantities of mobile humic substances and mobile humic acids exhibited similar changes. Their content increased substantially in fields with white clover and Egyptian clover, regardless of whether the legumes were ploughed or grown with winter wheat.

Keywords: black medick; white clover; Egyptian clover; grain yield; intercropping; mineral nitrogen; mobile humic substances; water-extractable organic carbon (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: 2024
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