Crop production during the first course of an organic crop rotation trial in Denmark

Summary

Three factors are included in a factorial field experiment: 1) fraction of grass-clover and pulses in the rotation (crop rotation), 2) catch crop (with or without catch crop), and 3) manure (with or without animal manure). Manure is applied as slurry in rates corresponding to 40 % of the nitrogen demand. Grain yields for three sites and three years of the experiment are presented for two four-course rotations. One rotation has a green-manure crop, which is replaced by winter wheat in the other rotation.
The use of manure significantly increased grain yield of the cereal crops in most cases. The positive effects of the catch crops were mainly observed in the spring cereals. The largest rotation yields were obtained in the crop rotation without a green manure crop. The positive effect of a green manure crop could not substitute for the yield decrease from leaving 25% of the area out of produc-tion