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Biomass production and N2-fixation in seven grass-legume mixtures

Rasmussen, J.; Søegaard, K. and Eriksen, J. (2010) Biomass production and N2-fixation in seven grass-legume mixtures. Paper at: NJF Seminar 432, Hvanneryri, Iceland, 20-22 June.

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Summary

Inclusion of forage legumes in low-input grassland mixtures improves biomass production and soil fertility trough addition of nitrogen (N) from N2-fixation. The impacts of different mixture of legumes and companion grasses on the N production of the forage mixture have rarely been investigated under comparable soil and climatic conditions. We conducted a field experiment on a sandy soil at two nitrogen levels with seven two-species grassland mixtures: alfalfa (Medicago sativa), bird’s-foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus), red clover (Trifolium pratense), or white clover (Trifolium repens) in mixture with perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne), and white clover in mixture with meadow fescue (Festuca pratensis), timothy (Phleum pratense), or hybrid ryegrass (Lolium hybridum). Red clover and alfalfa fixed 400-500 kg N ha-1 and bird ’s-foot trefoil just above 100 kg N ha-1 in aboveground biomass. The white clover N fixation was affected by the companion grass species and ranged from 150 to 175 kg N ha-1. Fertilization had different effects on N2-fixation among the legumes, but also significant effects on white clover N2-fixation depending on the companion grass species.


EPrint Type:Conference paper, poster, etc.
Type of presentation:Paper
Subjects: Crop husbandry > Crop combinations and interactions
Soil > Nutrient turnover
Research affiliation: Denmark > DARCOF III (2005-2010) > ORGGRASS - Grass-clover in organic dairy farming
Deposited By: Eriksen, Professor Jørgen
ID Code:17882
Deposited On:12 Oct 2010 11:26
Last Modified:12 Oct 2010 11:26
Document Language:English
Status:Published
Refereed:Peer-reviewed and accepted

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