Short-term residual N unaffected by forbs in grass-clover mixtures

Summary

We determined the effect on residual nitrogen (N) of including forbs (chicory, ribwort plantain and caraway) in perennial ryegrass-red clover mixtures. Although soil N inputs during the grassland phase differed markedly between mixtures, in a pot experiment we found no differences in the potentially mineralizable N of the soil or in the dry matter production and N content of the spring barley test crop. The fertilizer value of the grassland mixtures corresponded to 10 g N/m2, irrespective of forb inclusion. Thus, the inclusion of nonlegume forbs did not negatively affect short-term residual N fertility of legume-based grasslands.