Associating wheat crop and undersown forage legumes in organic agriculture: Incidence of forage legumes species

One of the key issues of organic arable systems is to increase use of N2 fixation from legume plants while enhancing autonomy by the limitation of off-farm inputs. Wheat yield in organic agriculture is generally low and variable. Grain yield and protein content are strongly affected by N deficiency and weed competition (Casagrande et al., 2009). Previous research had clearly demonstrated the benefits of forage legumes to improve N balance and preserve weed infestation (den Hollander et al., 2007). Several authors highlighted the interest of crop mixtures combining cereal and legumes to provide higher overall productivity, enhance ecological services and improve economical profitability (Malezieux et al., 2008). Nevertheless, previous research also highlights how important it is to manage whether above- and belowground interactions between species to optimise benefits and limit competition. We propose here to analyse how the insertion of legumes species influences the performance of organic wheat (yield, grain protein content) but also the weeds population during and after crop cycle

Incidence of soil N fertility on the performance of organic forage legume-wheat mixtures.

One of the key issues of organic arable systems is to bring enough nitrogen in the crop rotation to ensure satisfying crop nutrition. Wheat yield in organic agriculture are generally low and variable. Grain yield and grain protein content are strongly affected by N deficiency and weed competition (Casagrande et al., 2009). Nevertheless, the autonomy of the organic cropping systems has to be improved while off-farm inputs have to be limited. The use of N2 fixation from legume plants should then be improved. Previous research had clearly demonstrated the benefits of forage legumes in association to improve N balance and control weed seed bank. However, it is also well known that legume N2 fixation could be limited depending on the soil N fertility. The functioning of such mixtures could then be disturbed by variations of the nitrogen fertility of the environment. The impact of soil N fertility has to be studied in order to manage whether above- and belowground interactions between species and to optimise benefits of the association

Wheat/forage legume intercropping in organic grain system: an answer to both weed and nitrogen deficiency issues

Organic grain system managers have to find solutions to nitrogen deficiency and weed infestation. It is especially true when no animals are present on the farm to justify the use of forage legumes despite their interests in the crop succession. Our study focused on the role of four legume cover crop species inserted in a succession of winter wheat and maize on both problems. This insertion consisted in relay-intercropping the legumes under the canopy of wheat. Cover crops were maintained on the field after the harvest of the cereal until the sowing of the subsequent maize crop. The performance of the three crops of the succession was monitored as well as weed development and nitrogen dynamic in the soil-plant system. On the one hand, our results showed that black medic and red clover, that supported the best the competition of wheat, were likely to decrease its grain protein content at harvest (-0.3 to -0.4 %). On the other hand, the four species did not decrease intercropped wheat grain yield. They were able to control weed infestation during the intercropping period and between the two cash crops. Finally, nitrogen restitution to the subsequent maize crop was efficient and allowed a significant 30 % increase of maize grain yield

Relay intercropping of legume cover crops in organic winter wheat: Effects on performance and resource availability

Wheat yields and grain protein content are lower and more variable in organic conditions than in conventional agriculture, mainly due to nitrogen (N) deficiency and weed competition. The undersowing of legume cover crops in growing winter wheat, also known as relay intercropping, is assumed to be a proficient way of enriching the soil-crop system with N and improving weed control. However, competition for resources may impair wheat performance. Relay intercropping in springtime in growing winter wheat is expected to limit competition for resources from the legume. The aim of our study was to analyze wheat performance and resource competition in relay intercropping systems with legume cover crops under various environmental conditions. Eight field experiments were conducted on organic grain-oriented farms located in southeast France. Black medic (Medicago lupulina), alfalfa (Medicago sativa), red clover (Trifolium pratense) and white clover (Trifolium repens), undersown at wheat tillering stage, were compared with a sole crop of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum cv. Lona). The aerial biomass of wheat and legumes and total N content of wheat were determined at both the flowering stage and harvest time of the wheat. The main trophic resources (water, N and light) were monitored at similar stages. Wheat grain yield and grain protein content were also measured. Sites were classified according to wheat sole crop performance at harvest to evaluate the effect of relay intercropping in the various conditions tested. In all but one of the thirty-two treatments, wheat grain yield was not significantly disturbed by relay intercropping whatever the aerial development of legumes. Abundant aerial development of legumes after flowering (>20% of the aerial biomass of wheat at harvest) was associated with a mean significant decrease in wheat grain protein content of 8.5% of the control treatment value, this occurring in one third of the situations. These ratios of aerial biomasses of legumes compared to wheat were also associated with reductions in soil moisture and wheat N uptake. The effect on the availability of trophic resources for wheat may have led to a decrease in grain protein content without having any effect on grain yield. Sites which registered a low performance for wheat sole crops were less negatively impacted by the presence and aerial development of legumes. The performance of the four legume species and the mechanisms of induced disturbance of resource availability are then discussed. Finally, we try to define ranges of legumes' development and resource availability in which wheat performance was maintained or limited. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Relay-intercropped forage legumes help to control weeds in organic grain production

In organic grain production, weeds are one of the major limiting factors along with crop nitrogen deficiency. Relay intercropping of forage legume cover crops in an established winter cereal crop might be a viable option but is still not well documented, especially under organic conditions. Four species of forage legumes (Medicago lupulina, Medicago sativa, Trifolium pratense and Trifolium repens) were undersown in six organic wheat fields. The density and aerial dry matter of wheat, relay-intercropped legumes and weeds were monitored during wheat-legume relay intercropping and after wheat harvest until late autumn, before the ploughing of cover crops. Our results showed a large diversity of aerial growth of weeds depending on soil, climate and wheat development. The dynamics of the legume cover crops were highly different between species and cropping periods (during relay intercropping and after wheat harvest). For instance, T. repens was two times less developed than the other species during relay intercropping while obtaining the highest aerial dry matter in late autumn. During the relay intercropping period, forage legume cover crops were only efficient in controlling weed density in comparison with wheat sole crop. The control of the aerial dry matter of weeds at the end of the relay intercropping period was better explained considering both legumes and wheat biomasses instead of legumes alone. In late autumn, 24 weeks after wheat harvest, weed biomass was largely reduced by the cover crops. Weed density and biomass reductions were correlated with cover crop biomass at wheat harvest and in late autumn. The presence of a cover crop also exhibited another positive effect by decreasing the density of spring-germinating annual weeds during the relay intercropping period. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Contribution of relay intercropping with legume cover crops on nitrogen dynamics in organic grain systems

Nitrogen (N) management is a key issue in livestock-free organic grain systems. Relay intercropping with a legume cover crop can be a useful technique for improving N availability when two cash crops are grown successively. We evaluated the benefits of four relay intercropped legumes (Medicago lupulina, Medicago sativa, Trifolium pratense and Trifolium repens) on N dynamics and their contribution to the associated and subsequent cash crops in six fields of organic farms located in South-East France. None of the relay intercropped legumes affected the N uptake of the associated winter wheat but all significantly increased the N uptake of the succeeding spring crop, either maize or spring wheat. The improvement of the N nutrition of the subsequent maize crop induced a 30 % increase in grain yield. All relay intercropped legumes enriched the soil-plant system in N through symbiotic fixation. From 71 to 96 % of the N contained in the shoots of the legumes in late autumn was derived from the atmosphere (Ndfa) and varied between 38 and 67 kg Ndfa ha(-1). Even if the cover crop is expected to limit N leaching during wintertime, the presence of relay intercropped legumes had no significant effect on N leaching during winter compared to the control

Cover crops to secure weed control strategies in a maize crop with reduced tillage

To better understand the ability of cover crops to control weeds in a maize crop (Zea mays, L.) grown with reduced tillage, four field experiments were set up from 2009 to 2014 in the western part of Switzerland. Ten non-wintering cover crop species were compared to a no cover crop control in strip plot experiments including different weeding strategies. The weeding strategies included no or minimum tillage before maize seeding. Soil coverage by weeds at early maize stage (2–4 leaf stage) varied drastically between weeding strategies and years. In most cases, cover crops allowed to reduce the weed pressure compared to the no cover crop control. The most efficient cover crop species varied from year to year, but niger (Guizotia abyssinica, (L.f.) Cass.), sunflower (Helianthus annuus, L.), field pea (Pisum sativum, L.) and phacelia (Phacelia tanacetifolia, Benth.) gave the best overall results. Maize yield differed significantly between weeding strategies only one year, with higher yield observed with minimum tillage. In some situation, cover crops cultivated in autumn still showed a significant impact on maize yield, with common vetch (Vicia sativa, L.) as the most successful species. Interestingly, the effect of cover crop on weed cover and maize yield was not limited to the less intense strategy (no tillage). These results show that cultivating cover crops before maize in this type of conditions is a promising method to help controlling weeds. In addition, cover crops are known for providing multiple ecosystem services which could altogether improve the sustainability of cropping systems on the long term