Optimierung des Soja- und Lupinenanbaus in Ostdeutschland: Ergebnisse aus On-Farm Demonstrationen

Summary

Grain legumes provide several ecosystem services, but their cultivation declined during the last fifty years. New strategies are needed to optimize their production. This
study used on-farm demonstrations on organic farms in Eastern Germany to identify improved management options for soybean and narrow-leafed lupin. For soybean the
focus was on finding suitable varieties and tillage systems. For lupin, hoeing between rows was identified as an effective weed control method. Gross margin calculations
showed that soybean has the potential as a new grain legume crop in Eastern Germany. Large amounts of soil mineral nitrogen after soybean harvest in 2015 indicate a risk of substantial nitrate leaching. The action research approach provided new agronomic findings, involved farmers actively in the process, and increased the potential for implementing new strategies improving grain legume cropping systems.