Nitrogen use efficiency of cereals in arable organic farming

Summary

The effect of nitrogen (N) supply and weeds on grain yield of spring barley, winter wheat and winter rye was investigated from 1997 to 2004 in an organic farming crop rotation experiment in Denmark on three soil types varying from coarse sand to sandy loam. Two experimental factors were included in the experiment in a factorial design: 1) catch crop (with and without), and 2) manure (with and without). The apparent recovery efficiency of N in grains (nitrogen use efficiency, NUE) from NH4-N in applied manure varied from 29 to 38% in spring barley and from 23 to 44% in winter cereals. The NUE of above-ground N in catch crops sampled in November prior to the spring barley varied from 16 to 52%, with the highest value on the coarse sandy soil and the lowest value on the sandy loam soil. The NUE of N accumulated in grass-clover cuttings varied from 14 to 39%, with the lowest value on the coarse sandy soil, most likely because of high rates of N leaching. The NUE declined with increasing amounts of N accumulated in the grass-clover cuttings. This indicates that grain yields can be improved by removing the grass-clover cuttings and applying the N contained in the cuttings in spring to the cereal crops, possibly after fermentation in a biogas reactor.