Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
ing. Increasing the dose of nitrogen for the cultivation of mixtures usually leads to increase
in the yield of cereal component, but reduces the proportion of legume seeds in the crop.
Legume-cereal mixtures can be grown for green matter and used as a raw material for the
production of silage for ruminants or they can be grown for seeds and be used as a compo‐
nent of concentrated feed for monogastric animals. Increasing the share of legume seeds at
sowing increases the protein concentration, digestibility and improves the protein value of
the feed made of the mixtures.
Legume-cereal mixtures are a good forecrop for cereals. They reduce the negative effects as‐
sociated with sowing of cereals one after another. Mixtures enrich the soil with organic mat‐
ter and nutrients, but the value of their post-crop area depends on the choice of components,
their share in the stand, the level of yields and soil conditions. Cultivation of cereals after
legume-cereal mixtures is characterized by higher yield stability. An ecological importance
has also cultivation of serradella as undersown, which plays additionally phytosanitary role,
reducing the spread of diseases and pests and regenerates the soil. The benefits of mixed
sowings of legumes with cereals are associated with a significant reduction of weed infesta‐
tion, especially in organic farming. Intercrops are already largely adopted in organic farm‐
ing, but additional efforts in research are needed for their adoption in more number of
farms.
Author details
Mariola Staniak, Jerzy Księżak and Jolanta Bojarszczuk
Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation - State Research Institute, Department of Forage
Crop Production, Puławy, Poland
References
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Facing up to the paradigm of ecological intensification in agronomy: Revisiting
