The Effect of Cover Crops on the Yield of Spring Barley in Estonia

Merili Toom, Sirje Tamm, Liina Talgre, Ilmar Tamm, Ülle Tamm, Lea Narits, Inga Hiiesalu, Andres Mäe and Enn Lauringson
Additional contact information
Merili Toom: Estonian Crop Research Institute, J. Aamisepa 1, 48309 Jõgeva, Estonia
Sirje Tamm: Estonian Crop Research Institute, J. Aamisepa 1, 48309 Jõgeva, Estonia
Liina Talgre: Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Fr. R. Kreutzwaldi 1, EE51014 Tartu, Estonia
Ilmar Tamm: Estonian Crop Research Institute, J. Aamisepa 1, 48309 Jõgeva, Estonia
Ülle Tamm: Estonian Crop Research Institute, J. Aamisepa 1, 48309 Jõgeva, Estonia
Lea Narits: Estonian Crop Research Institute, J. Aamisepa 1, 48309 Jõgeva, Estonia
Inga Hiiesalu: Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Lai 40, 51005 Tartu, Estonia
Andres Mäe: Estonian Crop Research Institute, J. Aamisepa 1, 48309 Jõgeva, Estonia
Enn Lauringson: Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Fr. R. Kreutzwaldi 1, EE51014 Tartu, Estonia

Agriculture, 2019, vol. 9, issue 8, 1-8

Abstract: Using cover crops in fallow periods of crop production is an important management tool for reducing nitrate leaching and therefore improving nitrogen availability for subsequent crops. We estimated the short-term effect of five cover crop species on the yield of successive spring barley ( Hordeum vulgare L.) for two years in Estonia. The cover crop species used in the study were winter rye ( Secale cereale L.), winter turnip rape ( Brassica rapa spp. oleifera L.), forage radish ( Raphanus sativus L. var. longipinnatus ), hairy vetch ( Vicia villosa Roth), and berseem clover ( Trifolium alexandrinum L.). The results indicated that out of the five tested cover crops, forage radish and hairy vetch increased the yield of subsequent spring barley, whereas the other cover crops had no effect on barley yield. All cover crop species had low C:N ratios (11–17), suggesting that nitrogen (N) was available for barley early in the spring.

Keywords: cover crop; nitrogen accumulation; spring barley yield (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: 2019
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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