Enhanced Nutritional Quality of Sweet Maize Kernel in Response to Cover Crops and Bio-Fertilizer

Vesna Dragicevic,Milovan Stoiljkovic,Biljana Janosevic,Željko Dolijanović,Margarita S Dodevska,Milena Simić,Milan Brankov

doi:10.3390/agronomy11050981

Abstract

Cover crops (CC) are an important low-input strategy in sustainable agricultural systems. The impact of different CC (common vetch, field pea, winter oats, fodder kale, common vetch + winter oats and field pea + winter oats), organic mulch, control treatment-fallow, and bio-fertilizer (BF) application, on yield and quality of sweet maize kernel was evaluated. CC biomass was higher in mixtures: field pea + winter oats, and common vetch + winter oats, as well as in fodder kale. Kernel yield and its chemical composition varied significantly by CC, BF, year, and their interaction. Organic mulch enhanced the concentration of sugars and glutathione in maize kernel. BF increased kernel yield, the concentration of sugars, vitamin C, Mg, Fe, Zn, and reduced phytate concentration. The highest Mg and Mn concentration in maize kernel was achieved with fodder kale, Zn concentration with common vetch + winter oats + BF, and Fe concentration with winter oats. The same treatments expressed the highest impact on variability in concentration of the phytate, phenolics, and yellow pigment, thus affecting further bio-availability of essential elements. Results indicate that in a semi-arid climate, under rain-fed conditions, CC such as fodder kale and winter oats + common vetch could enhance sweet maize productivity and kernel quality, serving as an important part of a sustainable cropping system, to facilitate food security.

Highlights

The cover crops (CC) and year (Y), as sources of variation significantly affected CC biomass (Table 2), with the highest average values obtained in T6 treatment and in 2016/17 season (44795 kg ha −1, on average)
The lowest values of CC biomass were achieved at T3 treatment in 2015/16and 2017/18
Irrespective that almost double greater biomass was achieved by T3 in 2016/17 (29240 kg ha−1 ), it was the lowest value in this season, when compared to other CC treatments

Summary

Introduction

Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Food security is of particular importance when climate change is addressed. Global changes affect not just food production, but food quality, too. High-input agriculture, agroecosystem devastation, in combination with climate extremes, contribute to a reduction of produces quality: decrease in concentration of essential minerals and vitamins. The human population is incapable of meeting minimal requirements for essential nutrients resulting in pandemic of various chronic diseases, such as obesity, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, cardio-vascular diseases, cancer, etc. The human population is incapable of meeting minimal requirements for essential nutrients resulting in pandemic of various chronic diseases, such as obesity, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, cardio-vascular diseases, cancer, etc. [1,2]

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Discussion

Conclusion