Maiserträge und Humusbilanzen in ökologischen Energiepflanzen-Fruchtfolgen mit Gärrestdüngung

Summary

The long-term effects of biogas production in organic farming on soil fertility due to changes in crop rotations and the removal of carbon from these systems are, at
present, unclear. Data from a long-term field trial in Bavaria, Germany were used to evaluate the effects of different crop rotations and fertilization with biogas digestate on maize yields and humus balances. Digestate fertilization led to higher maize yields compared with an unfertilized control. Maize yields were lower when the maize was sown directly into a white clover cover crop. Humus balances show the importance of considering both the return of organic matter via fertilization and crop rotation design
to ensure that soil fertility is not depleted