Effect of preceding crops on the winter cereal productivity and diseases incidence

Abstract

Experiments were carried out in the Vežaiciai Branch of the Lithuanian Institute of Agriculture (West Lithuania region) in 2002-2005. The aim of this research was to estimate the ecological significance of perennial legumes used as green manure for the biological properties of triticale and rye and for diseases resistance. Residues of the perennial grasses tested and ploughed-in aftermath contributed different contents of nitrogen to the soil. The highest content of nitrogen was contributed to the soil with red clover residues and aftermath. Residues of white clover and aftermath ploughed in as green manure determined more favourable soil properties. This had a positive effect on the formation of biological parameters of cereals grown after white clover, which made it possible without mineral and organic fertilisers to produce on average 3.88 t ha-1 of triticale grain and 3.82 t ha-1 of rye grain, or by 1.09 and 0.28 t ha-1 more compared with their growing after red clover managed in the same way as white clover. Different growing conditions of winter cereals, i.e. different preceding crops, had a significant effect on the occurrence of scald and septoriosis.