Lentil green manure as fallow replacement in the semiarid northern Great Plains

Pikul, Joseph L. and Aase, J. Kristian and Cochran, Verlan L. (1997) Lentil green manure as fallow replacement in the semiarid northern Great Plains. Agronomy Journal. 89:867-874.

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Abstract

Green manures (GM) may offset inorganic N needs and improve
soil quality. Study objectives were to determine effects of green manure
on soil-N fertility, water use, soil quality, and yield of spring wheat
(Triticum aestivum L.). On two treatments, lentil (Lens culinaris
Medikus cv. Indianhead) was green manured in a green manure–spring
wheat rotation. Lentil was killed by disking (GMMF) or chemicals
(GMCF). Additional treatments were annually cropped wheat (AW)
in a mechanical fallow (MF) or chemical fallow (CF) sequence. No
inorganic N was used on GMMF and GMCF. Experiments were
started in 1991 on a Williams loam (fine-loamy, mixed Typic Argiboroll)
near Culbertson, MT. Green-manure treatments used 56 mm
more water than fallow treatments when lentil was grown to lower-pod
set. When lentil was killed at full bloom, there were no differences
in water use among GM and fallow treatments. There were no differences
among treatments in soil water at wheat planting. Wheat yield
was 25% less on GM than on MF and CF. Soil NO 3–N (0-0.6 m) was
35% less on GM than MF and CF rotations. There were no differences
in soil quality indicators of bulk density, organic C, pH, electrical
conductivity, and deep NO3–N (0.6 –1.8 m) among treatments after
two cycles of GM. Potentially mineralizable N was 66% greater on
GM treatments than on fallow treatments. Short-term results (5 yr)
show that available N limited wheat production more than did soil
water on the GM treatments. Soil improvement using green manures
may require many additional cropping cycles.

Item Type:	Article
NWISRL Publication Number:	0956
Subjects:	Irrigated crops > Bean / dry bean Manure Mass Import - autoclassified (may be erroneous)
Depositing User:	Dan Stieneke
Date Deposited:	20 Nov 2010 21:54
Last Modified:	21 Nov 2016 19:40
Item ID:	689
URI:	https://eprints.nwisrl.ars.usda.gov/id/eprint/689