Northeast Research and Demonstration Farm

Legume Identity and Timing of Incorporation Effects on Soil Responses to Green Manure

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Abstract

Challenges to sustainable agriculture include optimizing nitrogen (N) availability, maintaining profitability by reducing input costs, such as synthetic N fertilizers, and minimizing the loss of nitrate-N. Production of a legume green manure in a crop sequence is a typical method used to reduce or eliminate the need for applying synthetic N fertilizer to succeeding crops. Legumes or legume/small grain mixtures are often used as green manures because of the symbiotic association of most legume species with N fixing Rhizobium bacteria. The dynamics of nitrogen (N) mineralization in the soil after legume incorporation are complex. To contribute adequate amounts of plant-available N to the subsequent crop, the incorporated green manures must decompose sufficiently and in synchrony with the N demand of crops such as corn.

Keywords: Agronomy

How to Cite:

Graef, R., Cambardella, C. A. & Liebman, M. Z., (2004) “Legume Identity and Timing of Incorporation Effects on Soil Responses to Green Manure”, Iowa State University Research and Demonstration Farms Progress Reports 2003(1).