Legume cover crops with winter cereals in southern Manitoba: Fertilizer replacement values for oat

J. R. Thiessen Martens, M. H. Entz*, and J. W. Hoeppner

Abstract
Yield benefits of legume cover crops in winter/spring cereal systems have not been well documented in the Canadian prairies.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the fertilizer replacement values (FRV) of relay-cropped alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) and red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) and double-cropped chickling vetch (Lathryus sativus L.) and black lentil (Lens culinaris Medik. subsp. culinaris) to a subsequent oat (Avena sativa L.) crop. Field experiments were conducted in Manitoba on a clay soil at Winnipeg and a sandy loam at Carman.

Alfalfa provided the highest FRV at Winnipeg (51–62 kg N ha^-1), followed by chickling vetch (29–43 kg N ha^-1), lentil (23–39 kg N ha^-1), and red clover (24–26 kg N ha^-1). FRV could not be established at Carman, where course-textured soil and low rainfall limited legume growth.


Source
Canadian Journal of Plant Science (2005) 85: 645-648
DOI: 10.4141/P04-114


Author Locations and Affiliations
Department of Plant Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3T 2N2
* Corresponding author, E-mail m_entz@umanitoba.ca


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Posted February 2011