Field Pea Research Articles

AAC Planet field pea

AAC Planet is a semi-leafless and powdery mildew (caused by Erysiphe pisi Syd.) resistant field pea ( Pisum sativum L.) variety developed at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lacombe Research and Development Centre, Lacombe, Alberta, Canada. It has high yielding potential, late maturity, tall plant height with good lodging resistance, medium seed size, round seed shape, and low seed coat breakage. It has maturity of 100 days, and thousand-seed weight of 221 g with seed protein content of 24.6%. AAC Planet has a lodging score of 3.2 on the scale of 1–9. It is moderately susceptible to mycosphaerella blight (caused by Mycosphaerella pinodes) and fusarium root rot (caused by Fusarium avenaceum and F. solani).

Dryland pea seeding rates can be reduced without yield or economic penalty

AbstractMontana is the leading producer of field peas (Pisum sativum L.) in the United States. A density of 8 to 10 plants ft−2 is recommended when growing field peas in that state, but this recommendation is based on work done elsewhere. Field experiments were conducted in central Montana from 2021 through 2023 and at three additional locations in the final year to determine the yield and the economically optimum plant population (EOPP) when growing field peas for grain. The semi‐leafless, yellow‐cotyledon variety Montech 4152 was planted at five rates (5, 7, 9, 11, and 13 pure live seed [PLS] ft−2) in all 3 years with two additional rates (3 and 15 PLS ft−2) added in the final year. A minimum plant density of 6 to 8 plants ft−2, or planting field pea at 7 to 9 PLS ft−2, produced a grain yield comparable to or greater than amounts produced at other seeding rates. The minimum EOPP across the six experiments ranged from 3 (2.8) to 7 (6.4) plants ft−2, corresponding to a seeding rate of 3 to 7 PLS ft−2. However, more weeds were observed when field pea was planted at 3 PLS ft−2 than at higher rates in one of the experiments. A field pea density of 6 to 8 plants ft−2 is sufficient to optimize grain yield and economic returns in Montana and similar dryland environments.

Pilot Evaluation of Field Pea Accessions Under Water Deficit Conditions

Field pea, a key pulse crop for sustainable agriculture, faces significant production challenges due to drought, exacerbated by extreme climatic changes. This study evaluated 17 field pea plant introductions (PIs) and two commercial varieties under greenhouse conditions to assess their performance, determine the relationships between agronomic traits and grain yield (GY), and identify genotypes with stable yields under drought stress. Two water treatments were applied: 100% field capacity for well-watered (WW) and 60% field capacity for water deficit (WD) conditions, with drought stress imposed 21 days after planting. Significant genotypic variation was observed under both conditions. Water deficit significantly reduced GY, the number of pods per plant (NPP), plant height (PH), aboveground dry vegetative biomass (ADVB), and days to maturity (DTM) while increasing stomatal density on both adaxial (SD.ADX) and abaxial leaf surfaces (SD.ABX). Traits associated with GY in WW, such as NPP, PH, ADVB, and SD.ADX, showed stronger correlations under WD, with DTM being significantly associated with GY only in WD. Top-performing genotypes in both conditions exhibited higher pod numbers, increased aboveground dry vegetative biomass, late maturity, and lower adaxial stomatal density. Notably, PI 272215 was identified as a top performer under both conditions, with an 88% yield stability index. PI 180702 demonstrated comparable performance to PI 272215 but with no yield loss under the same conditions. These findings can be used for future field pea breeding programs aimed at developing drought-tolerant field pea varieties.

Crop rotation and fungicides impact microbial biomass, diversity and enzyme activities in the wheat rhizosphere

Sustainable crop production systems should promote large and diverse soil microbial communities to enhance biological soil processes rather than depend solely on chemical interventions that include pesticide applications. Crop rotation increases above-ground temporal diversity which, relative to monoculture, usually increases soil microbial diversity. But comparisons between short and long crop rotations that also include pesticide effects are rare. A 5-yr (2013-2017) field study was conducted to investigate crop rotation and fungicide effects on the soil microbiome and activity. There were nine rotations, with or without fungicide applications, that included four 2-yr rotations (wheat preceded by canola, barley, pea, or flax), four 3-yr rotations where barley or canola were added to the 2-yr rotations, and one rotation where canola and wheat were stacked (canola-canola-wheat-wheat). In 2017, soil microbial biomass, composition, diversity and enzyme activities were measured in the rhizosphere of the final wheat crop in each rotation. Fungicides reduced fungal richness (the number of different fungal taxa) in the wheat rhizosphere (e.g., Chao1 indices of 64.0 vs. 79.9) especially in 2-yr rotations, but rotation length/type and the crops that preceded wheat had different effects on different taxa. Two of the three most predominant prokaryotic phyla, Proteobacteriota and Actinobacteriota, responded differently to rotation length: 3-yr rotations enriched the former (27.4% vs. 20.1% relative abundances), but 2-yr rotations enriched the latter (19.9% vs. 28.3% relative abundances). Relative to oilseed crops preceding the sampled wheat, a field pea preceding crop enriched Actinobacteriota (31.7% vs. 24.8% relative abundances) and the most abundant fungal class, Sordariomycetes (39.1% vs. 22.1% relative abundances), in addition to increasing microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and arylsulphatase activity by 33% and 57%, respectively. Correlations of the relative abundances of fungal or prokaryotic genera with β-glucosidase and arylsulphatase activities were similar (both positive or negative), but they were the opposite of correlations with acid phosphomonoesterase, suggesting a close link between C and S cycling. Besides the nutrient cycling implications of these soil microbial characteristics, there is need to study their biological disease control significance.

Association of Seedling Vigour and Salinity Tolerance in Field Pea

Association of Seedling Vigour and Salinity Tolerance in Field Pea

AAC McMurphy field pea

AAC McMurphy is a semi-leafless, yellow cotyledonary field pea ( Pisum sativum L.) cultivar developed at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Lacombe Research and Development Centre, Lacombe, Alberta, Canada. It has a maturity of 90 days, one-thousand-seed weight of 246 g, and a lodging score of 2.9 on the scale of 1–9. The seed crude protein content of AAC McMurphy is 24.2%. AAC McMurphy is resistant to powdery mildew (caused by Erysiphe pisi) and moderately susceptible to mycosphaerella blight (caused by Mycosphaerella pinodes) and fusarium root rot (caused by Fusarium avenaceum).

Influence of Crop Residue Management on Maize Production Potential

Residue management at the farm level is essential for ensuring sustainable agricultural productivity. This field experiment, initiated in 2005, provides maize data from 2016 to 2018. This study evaluates the impact of crop residue management and fertilization on maize yield and yield components. Maize was grown in a crop rotation sequence consisting of field pea (Pisum sativum L.), durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf.), milk thistle (Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn.), and maize (Zea mays L.). The measures studied include aboveground biomass removal (K), aboveground biomass incorporation (R), mineral fertilizer application (F), and their combination (RF). The results indicate that R and RF significantly improve yield parameters, such as kernel number per ear (KNE), thousand seed weight (TSW), stalk yield, and harvest index (HI), compared to control (K) or aboveground biomass incorporation alone (R). Grain yield varied across the years, with significant increases being observed for the fertilizer treatments, particularly when combined with straw or stalk incorporation. A nominal increase in grain yield of 1.43 t ha−1 for the F treatment and 1.86 t ha−1 for the RF treatment represents an increase of 39% to 51% compared to K and R. Strong positive correlations were observed between grain yield and several factors, including ears per hectare (0.61), KNE (0.94), TSW (0.61), and HI (0.85). These findings underscore the role of crop residue management and promoting sustainable crop production.

Quantifying Residual Soil Moisture through Empirical Orthogonal Functions Analysis to Support Legume-Based Cropping Systems

AbstractThis study investigates spatiotemporal variability of residual soil moisture during the OND (October-November-December) season in Ethiopia and its implications for crop productivity. Employing advanced statistical techniques, we analyze spatial and temporal distribution of soil moisture across Ethiopia from 1981 to 2020, focusing on selected crops including legumes: chickpea, field peas, common bean, soybean and alfalfa, to assess the potential of residual moisture to support post-rainy season cropping. Results indicate pronounced east-west moisture gradients, with eastern regions of Ethiopia exhibiting lower moisture levels (< 60 kg.m-2) compared to western regions (> 150 kg.m-2). The central highlands, which are pivotal for agricultural activities, demonstrate significant variability in moisture (standard deviations > 25 kg.m-2), with implications on agricultural sustainability. The northern and southeastern tips of the country are particularly vulnerable to prolonged drought, where climate change and frequent dry spells exacerbate moisture deficits, consequently impacting crop productivity. Despite these challenges, promising opportunities for future crop production emerge in the southeastern region, which is characterized by increasing moisture trend over time ($$\:\tau\:=0.59$$). Findings further indicate that residual moisture adequately meets and supports crop water requirements in the western, central, and southwestern Ethiopia. In these regions, residual moisture supports more than 90% of cropland water requirements of various crops during the initial and late-season growth stages, whereas water requirement coverage drops to less than 20% during the mid-season growth stage. Therefore, by utilizing residual soil moisture alongside supplemental irrigation, Ethiopian farmers can meet crop water needs for double cropping and enhance resilience to climate variability.

Genotype × environment interaction and stability analysis of advanced field pea (Pisum sativum L.) genotypes in Southeastern Ethiopia

Field pea is a leguminous crops that have a significant economic contributions to sustainable Ethiopian agriculture. The experiment was conducted at four location in 2015/16 to 2016/17 main cropping seasons with the objectives of to determine the magnitude of genotype by environment interactions and its stability of thirteen field pea genotypes using randomized complete block design with four replications. The AMMI analysis revealed that significant (p<0.01) differences between genotypes, environments and genotype by environment interactions for grain yield. This indicates the genotypes responded differently across environments. The highest mean grain yield was recorded from genotype G12 which records (2992 kg ha−1) followed by genotype G4 2974 kg ha−1 across environments. The AMMI analysis showed that genotypes, environments and there interaction accounted about 72.9 %, 1.2 % and 5.7 % of the total sum of squares respectively. The GGE biplot first two principal components explained about 57.42 % of the total sum square of GEI. The GGE biplot revealed that G4 and G12 were the most stable and high yielding genotypes, while G10 and G9 were the lowest yielder and stable genotypes. The results indicated that genotypes responded differently to environmental conditions and the environments influenced genotype performances.

Efficacy of Bio-Pesticides against Leaf Miner, Liriomyza sp. of Field Pea

Efficacy of Bio-Pesticides against Leaf Miner, Liriomyza sp. of Field Pea

Examining the effect of soil organic carbon on major Canadian Prairie crop yields with predictive soil mapping

AbstractMaintaining soil organic carbon (SOC) is critical for global food security as it is essential for soil functions that sustain crop yields. There has been an increase in predictive soil mapping, which when combined with extensive crop yield datasets, enables a better understanding of crop yield and SOC relationships. This study focused on updating maps of SOC content in Saskatchewan using recently digitized historical SOC datasets and predictive soil mapping, and using the maps to examine the relationship between SOC and crop yield. A database of 5014 SOC values was used to map SOC contents using a Random Forest model and a range of environmental covariates. The final SOC model had a R2 of 0.48, root mean square error of 0.98%, concordance correlation coefficient of 0.67, and a bias of 0.12%. The relationship between mapped SOC values and crop yield data, with 100,000–200,000 records depending on crop type, was then assessed using a linear mixed effects model after normalizing the data by rural municipality to remove broad‐scale climate effects. Overall, an increase in SOC by 1% led to an increase on average of 263 kg ha−1 for wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), 293 kg ha−1 for barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), 133 kg ha−1 for canola (Brassica napus L.), and 135 kg ha−1 for field peas (Pisum sativum L.). These results show that increasing SOC was associated with greater yields for four major crops in Saskatchewan, with the largest gains occurring when the initial SOC contents are lower.

Performance of Indian mustard (Brassica juncea) under different intercroppingsystems in Central plain zone of Uttar Pradesh

The field experiment was carried out during winter (rabi) season of 2021–22 on Students’ Instructional Farm of C.S. Azad University of Agriculture &amp; Technology, Kanpur to assess the performance of Indian mustard under in- tercropping systems with chickpea, linseed, lentil and pea. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Block De- sign with 9 treatment combinations replicated thrice. These treatments included Sole Mustard (T1 ), Mustard: Chickpea (T2 1:1 and T3 2:1), Mustard + Lentil (T4 1:1 and T5 2:1), Mustard + Linseed (T6 1:1 and T7 2:1), and Mus- tard + Field Pea (T8 1:1 and T9 2:1). The results revealed that yield attributes and yield of mustard was significantly higher in sole Mustard and Mustard + Lentil (1:1) intercropping system. The maximum number of branches/plant (37, 38.33 at 30 and 90 DAS, respectively), siliquae/plant (380), seeds/siliqua (16), test weight (4.89 g), seed yield (2.89 t/ha), stover yield (6.80 t/ha), biological yield (9.68 t/ha), and harvest index (29.80%) were recorded in T1 (sole Mustard). Among intercropping system T4 (Mustard + Lentil, 1:1) resulted the maximum number of branches/ plant (36.75, 38 at 30 and 90 DAS, respectively), siliquae/plant (375), seeds/siliquae (16), test weight (4.84 g), seed yield (2.53 t/ha), stover yield (5.90 t/ha), biological yield (8.43 t/ha), harvest index (30.03%) and mustard equivalent yield (2.77 t/ha).

Influence of Front-Line Demonstrations on Yield, Yield Gap and Economics of Field Pea under Hill Region of Arunachal Pradesh, India

Krishi Vigyan Kendra Yachuli, Lower Subansiri district, gave a front-line field pea demonstration in 06 villages across two blocks with 44 farmers during the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons. FLD on the VL Matar 42 variety of field pea was carried out over the course of two years in a 15 ha area using the recommended improved practices. Additionally, a control plot with farmer practices was maintained. The yield in the farmers' plot (1110 kg ha-1) and demonstration plot (1510 kg ha-1) in the year 2020-21 was higher than in the year 2019-20. In the years 2019-20 and 2020-21, respectively, the demonstration plots' mean yield exceeded that of the farmers' plot by 35.23 and 36.03 percent. The VL Matar 42 variety of field pea had a mean yield of 1465 kg ha-1, which was lower than the potential yield of 1868 kg ha-1. The yield gap of 403 kg ha-1 indicates that there is a technology gap. Interestingly, the average extension yield gap was lower (385 kg ha-1) during the study period. The technology index varied from 19.16 to 23.98 percent, showing the feasibility of the evolved technology at the farmer's fields. Cultivating field pea using improved technologies resulted in an average higher net return of Rs. 59,050 ha-1 compared to Rs 34,500 ha-1 from local farming practices. The benefit cost ratio of field pea was higher (2.16) when using improved technologies compared to (1.83) when using farmers' practices.

Effect of Replacing Corn Grain and Soybean Meal with Field Peas at Different Levels on Feed Intake, Milk Production, and Metabolism in Dairy Cows under a Restrictive Grazing.

This study assessed the effects of replacing soybean meal (SBM) and corn grain with field peas in the concentrate of grazing dairy cows on milk production, intake, ruminal fermentation, and blood indicators. Twelve multiparous lactating Holstein-Friesian cows were utilized in a replicated 3 × 3 Latin square design, comprising three periods and three treatments: (1) Pea-0 (Control diet): 6 kg dry matter (DM) of fresh pasture, 7.2 kg DM of grass silage, and 7 kg DM of a concentrate containing 0% pea; (2) Pea-30: Control diet with the concentrate composed of 30% pea; (3) Pea-60: Control diet with the concentrate composed of 60% pea. The effect of treatments on productive and metabolic parameters was evaluated using linear-mixed models. Pasture and total DM intake, milk production, and composition were unaffected by treatments. Despite the concentrates being isonitrogenous and isoenergetic, crude protein (CP) intake was slightly higher in Pea-30 and significantly higher in Pea-60 due to higher pasture CP content in the pasture grazed by these groups, leading to higher milk urea content, though within recommended ranges. Blood parameters showed no significant changes, except for plasma β-hydroxybutyrate, which was lowest in the Pea-60 treatment; however, all values were within ranges not indicative of subclinical ketosis. Ruminal fermentation parameters were similar across treatments. These findings support the use of field peas as a viable alternative to replace SBM and corn grain in concentrates, enabling similar milk production and composition in grazing dairy cows.

N Stress Alleviation in Crops—A System Approach Analysing Residual N From Winter Crops in a Late‐Maize‐Wheat Sequence

ABSTRACTNitrogen (N) is crucial for crop production. Crop sequences with different legume participation affect N availability and therefore N fertiliser management. The study aimed to assess the inclusion of winter crops (WC) with different amounts of residues and different C:N ratios on the following: (i) the response to N fertilisation in the following late‐maize (Zea mays L.), and to carry that comparison into a subsequent wheat crop (Triticum aestivum L.), and (ii) identify soil N indicators associated with these responses. Two field experiments (E1 and E2) were conducted in the Argentinean Pampas during two growing seasons to evaluate a WC/late‐maize‐wheat sequence under no‐tillage. In each experiment, late‐maize was sown after a bare‐fallow and three WC: wheat, vetch (Vicia villosa L.) and field pea (Pisum sativum L.), where five rates of N fertilisation were evaluated. An area of late‐maize that was not fertilised with N within each previous WC was used to evaluate the response to N fertilisation in the subsequent wheat crop. Indigenous N was estimated by using N uptake in the non‐N‐fertilised treatments. Soil N indicators and C:N ratio of WC residues were evaluated as indicators of response to N fertilisation in both crops. Significant responses to N fertilisation in grain yield and N uptake were observed in late‐maize when bare‐fallow and wheat were the previous treatments in both experiments. In contrast, vetch and field pea supplied 32 and 40 kg N ha−1 in E1 and E2, respectively, and showed no response to N fertilisation, satisfying the N required by late‐maize. However, this supply was not enough to sustain the N demand of the subsequent wheat, where the response to N addition ranged from 36% to 74% when vetch and wheat were the previous WC, respectively. Only soil inorganic N indicators were associated with indigenous N supply. Moreover, the apparent net WC effect was linked to late‐maize (r2 = 0.91) and subsequent wheat (r2 = 0.67) grain yield response, which was also related to the C:N ratio of the WC residues in late‐maize and the subsequent wheat (r2 = 0.78), suggesting that mineralisation occurs when C:N ratio is below 18. Consequently, in future studies the C:N ratio of the WC residues can be included in N fertilisation recommendation schemes when late‐maize is sown as a double crop in more intensified crop sequences.

Effect of Plant Types on Lodging Resistance and Yield of Field Pea (Pisum sativum L.) and Lodging Impact on Yield and Ascochyta Blight Severity

Effect of Plant Types on Lodging Resistance and Yield of Field Pea (Pisum sativum L.) and Lodging Impact on Yield and Ascochyta Blight Severity

PSI-26 Effects of particle size and enzyme supplementation on the energy value of field peas fed to growing pigs

Abstract An experiment was conducted to determine if particle size and enzyme supplementation affects the digestible energy (DE), metabolizable energy (ME), and net energy (NE) contents in field peas fed to growing pigs. Male weaned pigs [n = 30; TN70 × TN Tempo; body weight (BW) = 16.5 ± 0.4 kg] were assigned to 1 of 5 dietary treatments: 4 consisting of 50% peas and a corn-soybean meal basal diet. The experiment was carried out as a completely randomized design with treatments arranged in a 2 × 2 factorial design, based on two particle sizes (500μm, 700μm) and two levels of carbohydrase supplementation (0 g/mt, 1,000 g/mt) to give 6 replicates per treatment. Diets were formulated to meet or exceed NRC (2012) requirements. The study was carried out in 3 consecutive periods, each consisting of 15 d; the first 10 d were for adaptation, followed by 5 d of total fecal and urine collection (marker to marker procedure) to calculate DE and ME of diets. The energy content of peas was determined using the difference method. Data were analyzed using the MIXED procedure of SAS. The model included the particle size, enzyme supplementation, and their interaction as a fixed effect. The period was included as a random effect. Least squares means for each treatment were adjusted using Tukey post-hoc test. Dry matter (DM), acid detergent fiber, neutral detergent fiber, gross energy, starch, ash, crude protein, and ether extract contents were analyzed to allow for the prediction of NE content of peas. There were no interactions between particle size and enzyme supplementation on dietary energy values. Also, no main effects of particle size and enzyme supplementation were observed. The average DE, ME, and predicted NE contents for peas were determined to be 3,848, 3,735, and 2,691 kcal/kg DM, respectively. In conclusion, enzyme supplementation and particle size did not influence the DE, ME, and NE contents of the peas.

492 Effects of particle size and protease supplementation on amino acids digestibility in peas fed to growing pigs

Abstract This study aimed to determine the effects of particle size and protease supplementation on amino acid (AA) digestibility in peas fed to growing pigs. A total of 8 barrows (65.9 ± 5.0 kg initial body weight), each fitted with a T-cannula in the distal ileum, were allocated in an 8 × 7 incomplete Latin square design. Eight experimental diets were arranged in a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial design, consisting of two varieties of field peas (Amarillo, Meadow peas), two particle sizes (400, 700 μm), and without or with protease supplementation (0, 250 g/ton). The Amarillo and Meadow peas were similar in crude protein (20.6 vs 21.3%). Field peas were included in the diets as the only source of AA, with a 96.1% inclusion rate. All diets contained 0.3% titanium dioxide as an indigestible marker. A casein diet was used to estimate basal endogenous N and AA losses. The experiment was conducted for seven consecutive periods. Each experimental period lasted 7 d, including 5 d of adaptation and the last 2 d for ileal digesta collection from 0800 to 1700 h. Data were analyzed using the PROC MIXED of SAS. The statistical model included variety, enzyme, particle size, and their interaction as fixed effects, and replication, animal within replication, and period within replication as random effects. There was no 3-way interaction between variety, enzyme supplementation, and particle size on apparent ileal digestibility (AID) and standardized ileal digestibility (SID) of AA in diets. Moreover, there were no differences in AID and SID between different varieties of field peas except for Cys where AID (66.2 vs 63.4%) and SID (71.9 vs 69.0%) were greater (P &amp;lt; 0.05) in Amarillo peas than in Meadow peas. Similarly, no difference was found between the diets with and without enzyme supplementation except for AID of Pro (71.9 vs 75.4%), which was less (P &amp;lt; 0.05) when protease was included. Also, no effects of particle size were observed except for SID of Ala (80.0 vs 77.0%), which was greater as particle size was reduced to 400 μm. The average SID values for essential AA were Arg (88.3%), His (80.9%), Ile (77.7%), Leu (78.7%), Lys (83.9%), Met (75.8%), Phe (79.3%), Thr (72.9%) and Val (74.9%). In conclusion, the variety of field peas, enzyme supplementation, or particle size did not affect the AID and SID of the field peas, and no interaction was observed among the factors. Future studies will investigate dose-response relationships to determine whether the observed enzyme effect was due to inadequate ratios between enzyme and substrate.

Crop rotation diversity and tillage effects on soil and wheat grain nutrient concentration in an organically-managed system

Consumer demand for high quality organic produce in Canada has in recent years contributed to the development of a more sustainable organic agriculture system that increased productivity without decreasing soil fertility. The objective of this 4-yr field study was to determine if an organic system with diversified crop rotations under reduced tillage would produce high quality spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grain and improve soil fertility. A simplified rotation (SR) consisting of a forage pea (Pisum sativum L.) green manure (GM)-spring wheat sequence and a diversified rotation (DR, forage pea GM-oilseed-pulse crop-spring wheat sequence) were compared under two tillage intensities (high tillage [HT] and low tillage [LT]). The oilseed alternated between mustard (Sinapis alba L.) and flax (Linum usitatissimum L.), and the pulse alternated between field pea and lentil (Lens culinaris L.). Generally, nutrient concentrations in wheat grain were mostly significantly higher under LT than HT and in the DR compared with the SR. In addition, tillage-rotation system influenced soil zinc, calcium, magnesium, and sodium concentrations. However, grain Cd concentration was higher in the LT treatment under the DR sequence relative to other treatments. Our results indicate that organically managed diversified crop rotations under reduced tillage can produce wheat grains with high nutritional value for humans and livestock but may not increase soil micronutrient concentrations.

Improving dual cover crop mixtures to increase shoot biomass production and weed suppression potential

IntroductionCover crop services depend on biomass production and species composition of the cover crop stand. In this study, we investigated the interactions in shoot biomass of dual cover crop mixtures and their competitiveness to suppress weeds before winter under different growing conditions.MethodsA field experiment was performed on sandy loam soil in Triesdorf, Germany, for two consecutive years. The cover crop species white mustard (Sinapis alba L.), oil radish (Raphanus sativus var. oleiformis L.), phacelia (Phacelia tanacetifolia J.), Egyptian clover (Trifolium alexandrinum L.), common vetch (Vicia sativa L.), field pea (Pisum sativum L.), and field bean (Vicia faba L.) were grown in pure stands or dual mixtures. Cover crops were sown in August, and shoot biomass was harvested at the end of the vegetation period. Cover crop shoot biomass was dried, and the share of each species and the sown test weed (Brassica napus L.) were determined.ResultsThe share of shoot biomass of a cover crop species in dual-species mixtures was closely related to its shoot biomass in its pure stand. In both years, mustard and phacelia showed similar interactions in shoot biomass production when growing with a second species. Regarding competitiveness against weeds, cruciferous species outperformed other cover crop species and could suppress weeds even if they were mixed with a less competitive partner. Weed suppression of mixtures with phacelia depended on the second component in the mixture and was more effective in a dry season. Legume species, especially Egyptian clover and common vetch could not suppress weeds in a pure stand.DiscussionOur results show that species with high weed suppression potential as single stands retain this ability in dual cover crop mixtures, regardless of the suppression potential of the second species that completes the mixture.