%0 Conference Paper
%A Farthofer, R.
%A Friedel, J. K.
%A Pietsch, G.
%A Rinnhofer, T.
%A Loiskandl, W.
%A Freyer, B.
%D 2004
%F orgprints:5789
%K plant biomass nitrogen, nitrate leaching, intercrops, Eastern Austria, legumes, 
%T Plant biomass nitrogen and effects on the risk of nitrate leaching of intercrops under organic farming in Eastern Austria
%U http://orgprints.org/5789/
%X Data on the potential of intercrops to reduce soil nitrate contents, on their N accumulation and biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) are lacking for organic farming in the dry, pannonic region of Eastern Austria. The effect of legumes, non-legumes, and legumes + non-legumes used as intercrops on inorganic soil nitrogen, crop yield and biomass N, and BNF were tested in comparison to bare fallow. Non-legumes and legumes + non-legumes were more efficient than legumes in reducing inorganic soil N contents in autumn and nitrate contents in soil solution from the subsoil in winter. This reduction in inorganic soil N did not last until March of the following year due to an N mineralisation from the mulch. The legume + non-legume mixture contained a larger amount of crop N than both legumes and non-legumes. This was due to the combined effect of soil-N uptake by the non-legumes and BNF by the legumes in the mixture.