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Aim <p>Improving agricultural sustainability in Northern Europe, where a short growing season can hinder mature harvest of grain legumes. Fresh harvest could be a valid alternative, also increasing the possibility to grow cover crops and thus improve nutrient recycling at the field level. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of harvesting fresh versus mature grain legumes, in combination with and without cover crops on the productivity of the undersown cover crop and the following cash crop, as well as soil mineral nitrogen (N) in Denmark.</p> Method <p>The field study was conducted according to organic standards and featured three grain legumes (pea, faba bean, soybean) harvested either fresh or mature, and either with or without an undersown ryegrass cover crop.</p> Results <p>The grain dry matter yields of mature faba bean and pea were 5.1 and 2.0 Mg ha<sup>−1</sup> in 2021, and 4.1 and 4.0 Mg ha<sup>−1</sup> in 2022, respectively. The undersown ryegrass cover crop retained soil mineral N during winter and resulted in almost twice as high residual N for the following spring barley compared to the control without cover crops, showing no signs of pre-emptive competition.</p> Conclusion <p>The inclusion of cover crops with grain legumes enhanced N retention and nearly doubled the residual N effect on the subsequent spring barley crop. Importantly, fresh legume biomass could be removed without compromising N benefits to the following crop. This integrated system supports efficient N use and offers both agronomic and environmental advantages.</p>

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Grain legumes combined with cover crops secure positive residual N effects in food production systems

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年11月7日

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  • Leanne Peixoto,
  • Kirsten Lønne Enggrob,
  • Juliana Trindade Martins,
  • Jim Rasmussen,
  • Chiara De Notaris

摘要

Aim

Improving agricultural sustainability in Northern Europe, where a short growing season can hinder mature harvest of grain legumes. Fresh harvest could be a valid alternative, also increasing the possibility to grow cover crops and thus improve nutrient recycling at the field level. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of harvesting fresh versus mature grain legumes, in combination with and without cover crops on the productivity of the undersown cover crop and the following cash crop, as well as soil mineral nitrogen (N) in Denmark.

Method

The field study was conducted according to organic standards and featured three grain legumes (pea, faba bean, soybean) harvested either fresh or mature, and either with or without an undersown ryegrass cover crop.

Results

The grain dry matter yields of mature faba bean and pea were 5.1 and 2.0 Mg ha−1 in 2021, and 4.1 and 4.0 Mg ha−1 in 2022, respectively. The undersown ryegrass cover crop retained soil mineral N during winter and resulted in almost twice as high residual N for the following spring barley compared to the control without cover crops, showing no signs of pre-emptive competition.

Conclusion

The inclusion of cover crops with grain legumes enhanced N retention and nearly doubled the residual N effect on the subsequent spring barley crop. Importantly, fresh legume biomass could be removed without compromising N benefits to the following crop. This integrated system supports efficient N use and offers both agronomic and environmental advantages.