N fertilizer value of legume-based catch crops

Summary

N availability is one of the main factors limiting productivity in organic arable systems. Legume-based catch crops (CC) were shown to both increase N yield and reduce N leaching at the crop rotation scale, but strategies to stabilize their growth are required (De Notaris et al., 2018). The present study showed that early CC sowing time and an increased main crop row space can help stabilize CC growth and increase N accumulation, especially when the conditions for the CC are not favorable. Despite the variations in N accumulated in CC biomass, legume-based catch crops represent a valuable source of N for the subsequent crop, with their fertilizer value being less variable than the N accumulated in CC biomass.