Abstract
Soil and water conservation benefits of cover crops have been hypothesized as a way to mitigate and adapt to changing climatic conditions, but they can also have detrimental effects if rainfall is limited. Our objective was to quantify effects of winter cover crops on soil water storage and yield of silage maize under the agro-ecological conditions within Vojvodina Province in Serbia. The experiment was conducted under rain-fed conditions at three locations and included a control (bare fallow) plus three cover crop and two N rate treatments. The cover crop treatments were common vetch (Vicia sativa L.), triticale (x Triticosecale Wittm. ex A. Camus) and a mixture of the two species. All were managed as green manure and subsequently fertilized with either 120 or 160 kg N ha−1 before planting silage maize (Zea mays L.). Cover crop effects on soil water storage were calculated for two periods, March–May and May–September/October. A Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) used to characterize drought severity for 2011/2012 and 2012/2013, showed values of 3 and 9, respectively, for the two periods. Soil water storage was reduced by all cover crop treatments, with the greatest deficiency occurring during the extremely dry year of 2012. Previous studies have shown cover crop growth reduced by soil water depletion during their growing season and negative effects on early-season growth and development of subsequent cash crops such as silage maize, but if rainfall is extremely low it can also reduce cash crop yield. This detrimental effect of cover crops on soil water balance was confirmed by correlations between soil water storage and maize silage yield.
Highlights
The intensification of agriculture has increased food production, primarily based on the use of high-productivity crop varieties and the application of fertilisers, pesticides and irrigation [1].this practice of the continuous cultivation of the same soil and the application of different inputs has serious consequences for the physical, chemical and biological properties of soil [2,3].Intensive conventional agriculture has been used, to a greater or lesser extent, on the fertile soil in Vojvodina Province, Serbia, and over the years has decreased organic matter content and changed soil structure [4]
Considering that the effects of cover crops depend on the weather conditions of a region, the aim of the research was to analyse the effect of winter cover crops on the soil water balance in the agro-ecological conditions of Vojvodina Province
The yield of cash crops such as maize or soybean is often unpredictable as a result of amount and timing of precipitation in the growing season [35]
Summary
The intensification of agriculture has increased food production, primarily based on the use of high-productivity crop varieties and the application of fertilisers, pesticides and irrigation [1].this practice of the continuous cultivation of the same soil and the application of different inputs has serious consequences for the physical, chemical and biological properties of soil [2,3].Intensive conventional agriculture has been used, to a greater or lesser extent, on the fertile soil in Vojvodina Province, Serbia, and over the years has decreased organic matter content and changed soil structure [4]. The intensification of agriculture has increased food production, primarily based on the use of high-productivity crop varieties and the application of fertilisers, pesticides and irrigation [1]. This practice of the continuous cultivation of the same soil and the application of different inputs has serious consequences for the physical, chemical and biological properties of soil [2,3]. The studies of Belić et al [5] and Seremesic et al [6] confirm a decline in the soil organic matter in this region This decline became a serious concern considering that further agricultural demands and food production under the more obvious climate changes in the 21st century will require maintaining or improving soil fertility and productivity [7]. The projections for climate change indicate increased precipitation variability rather than increased amount of annual
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