Hairy Vetch Research Articles

Agronomic performance of disc chain harrow as a conservation agriculture tool for a one-step cover crop termination and seedbed preparation

Summary Cover crops and conservation soil tillage are reconsidered in cropping systems for their several agronomical and ecosystem services. In this frame, an important role is played by cover crop termination and seedbed preparation, which are crucial for a timely and successful establishment of the following cash crop. This work was aimed at testing a disc chain harrow for terminating a cover crop of hairy vetch and preparing a seedbed for soybean and defining its operational characteristics. A total of three trials were carried out to (1) compare two types of discs in two different front + rear combinations and two different working speeds (8 vs. 14 km h−1) in terms of efficacy of hairy vetch termination; (2) evaluate the seedbed preparation by the disc chain in terms of soybean establishment as a following cash crop; (3) evaluate operational characteristics (working speed, fuel consumption, absorbed power, etc.) of the disc chain at the two different speeds. Results demonstrate that the disc chain is a valid tool for cover crop termination and seedbed preparation in a conservation tillage approach. The quality of work was affected by the type of disc and the working speed. The disc chain showed good operating performance, with low mechanical pulling force, low energy requirement for traction, and low fuel consumption as compared to alternative conservation practices for cover crop termination and/or shallow soil tillage.

Nitrogen Fate of Chemical Fertilizer and Green Manure-Wheat Rotation Using 15N Tracer Technique

To investigate the accumulation, distribution, and translocation of nitrogen (N) from chemical fertilizers and green manure in wheat plants, we conducted an experiment using leguminous green manure crop hairy vetch and wheat as test materials. During the anthesis and maturity stages of wheat, the 15N enrichment and Nitrogen content of wheat plant samples were determined in different organs, and 15N enrichment and nitrogen content of soil samples were measured at maturity. The accumulation and distribution characteristics of nitrogen from different sources during the wheat growth stages were investigated to explore the impacts of green manure and chemical fertilizers on wheat growth and nitrogen uptake. The results showed that nitrogen from chemical fertilizers in the soil-plant system exhibited the following pattern: plant absorption > soil residue > loss, while nitrogen from green manure showed: soil residue > loss > plant absorption. Wheat had higher absorption of nitrogen from chemical fertilizers compared to green manure. The absorption of nitrogen from chemical fertilizers by wheat ranged from 46.00% to 54.08%, while the absorption of nitrogen from green manure ranged from 20.71% to 28.21%. The residual nitrogen from green manure in the soil (38.47% to 58.22%) was higher than that from chemical fertilizers (31.44% to 40.69%), and the nitrogen loss from green manure (21.07% to 33.31%) was higher than that from chemical fertilizers (5.22% to 22.56%). Supply of nitrogen from the two sources could coordinate the distribution of nitrogen in various organs and increase the proportion of nitrogen allocation in grains. This was beneficial for facilitating nutrient transfer to reproductive organs.

Impact of Bio-Fertilizers under Supplementary Irrigation and Rain-fed Conditions on Some Physiological Responses and Forage Quality of Smooth Vetch (Vicia dasycarpa L.)

The purpose of this study was the evaluate use of bio-fertilizers to adjustment water shortage stress and improved smooth vetch (Vicia dasycarpa L.) yield under water deficit stress conditions. Thus, A 2-year experiment were performed in an agrisilviculture system of plum orchard in 2016 and 2017. In this study, the single, double and triple combined of Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi- Rhizophagus intraradices (AMF), Azotobacter chroococcum (Az) and Thiobacillus spp. (Th) on smooth vetch plants were evaluated under rain-fed and supplemental irrigation. The results indicated that irrigated plants had more Fe and Zn nutrients than rain-fed plants. Combined use of AMF + A. chroococcum more improved the forage dry matter digestibility (DMD), total digestible nutrient (TDN), net energy for lactation (NEL), dry matter intake (DMI) and relative feed value (RFV) than plants with single inoculation. In irrigated plants, double and triple combination of AMF with A. chroococcum and/or Thiobacillus spp. improved chlorophyll-a, chlorophyll-b, total chlorophyll, RWC, TSS, AsA, and GSH while lowering proline and MDA. Rain-fed condition reduced grain yield. In conclusion, synthesis non-enzymatic antioxidant because of the combined use of bio-fertilizers (AMF, Az and Th) can reduce ROS damage and improve water deficit resistance and yield in smooth vetch rain-fed plants.

Limited Advantages of Green Manure Planting on Soil Nutrients and Productivity in Intensive Agriculture: A Case Study of Wheat–Maize–Sunflower Rotation in Hetao Irrigation District

Crop diversification has been proposed as a promising strategy for transitioning towards sustainable agricultural systems. The Hetao Irrigation District faces multiple challenges in ensuring food security and farmer livelihood. A diversified green manure inclusive cropping system was designed to evaluate the influences of hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth) incorporation on soil nutrients, yield, and economic benefit compared to the existing wheat–maize–sunflower rotation system in the Hetao Irrigation District. The specific method was as follows: spring wheat (Triticum-durum L.)–vetch rotation in the first year, maize (Zea mays L.)/vetch intercropping in the second year, and sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.)/vetch relay intercropping in the third year. Over a 6-year experimental observation, green manure incorporation significantly increased soil alkaline hydrolyzed nitrogen and exchangeable potassium levels. Although the effect of green manure incorporation on the yield of rotated spring wheat and intercropped maize was not prominent, it improved sunflower yield in the second rotation cycle by 11%. Consequently, only the sunflower led to an increase in income of 235 CNY ha−1 in the second rotation cycle. This indicates that the soil-property-building and yield-enhancing effects of green manure incorporation require time to accumulate. However, the benefits derived from increased yield were not sufficient to offset the production costs associated with green manure cultivation, resulting in less-than-desirable economic returns.

Legume cover crop as a primary nitrogen source in an organic crop rotation in Ontario, Canada: impacts on corn, soybean and winter wheat yields

This study presents results from the first 5 years of an organic cropping trial in Ontario, Canada, where legume cover crops were the primary nitrogen source in a soybean-winter wheat/cover crop-corn rotation. Treatments included cover crop termination using moldboard plow (MP) or chisel plow (CP), a no-cover crop control under conventional production (CK-C), and four cover crops including summer-seeded crimson clover (CC, Trifolium incarnatum L.), summer-seeded hairy vetch (HV, Vicia villosa L. Roth), summer-seeded red clover (RCss, Trifolium pratense L.), and frost-seeded red clover (RCfs). Summer-seeding occurred after wheat harvest (July–August), and frost-seeding occurred in early spring (March–April). At cover crop termination, average aboveground cover crop biomass ranged from 5.9 to 8.1 Mg ha−1, while accumulated biomass nitrogen ranged from 155 to 193 kg ha−1. Corn grain yields were 11.6 Mg ha−1 for MP and 10.2 Mg ha−1 for CP tillage-termination method; and 13.3 Mg ha−1 for CK-C, 10.9 Mg ha−1 for RCfs, 10.6 Mg ha−1 for HV, 10.2 Mg ha−1 for CC, and 9.5 Mg ha−1 for RCss. Organic winter wheat yields were nitrogen-limited, averaging 27% lower than CK-C. Winter wheat yields were 10–15% lower in the RCfs than in other summer-seeded cover crop treatments. Soybean yields were largely unaffected by the treatments. It was concluded that summer-seeded legume cover crops are an effective primary nitrogen source for corn, but not as effective for the winter wheat phase of the soybean-winter wheat-corn rotation.

Net global warming potential index rather than soil carbon stock change could provide better understanding of the carbon balance in soil systems.

This study was conducted to determine the soil organic carbon (SOC) stock change factor for green manure crops that was developed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Tier 2 method and compare this with the net global warming potential (GWP) index that is used to evaluate the contribution of green manuring to global warming. Four treatments were barley (Hordeum vulgare L.; B), hairy vetch (Vicia villosa R.; HV), a barley/hairy vetch mixture (BHV) and a conventional treatment (C). The aboveground biomass of green manure crops was incorporated into the soil on 25 May 2018, 26 April 2019, 29 April 2020, 30 April 2021 and 2 May 2022. Maize (Zea mays L.) was transplanted as the subsequent crop after the incorporation of green manures. SOC stock decreased with green manures, even though carbon input with green manures, including B, HV and BHV, was greater than that with C. The mean value of the SOC stock change factor for green manure crops, including B, HV and BHV was 0.627 and was significantly lower than that of the C. However, the net GWP also decreased with the incorporation of green manure crops, and the mean value of the relative net GWP index across B, HV and BHV was 0.853. These conflicting results were caused by different estimation methods between annual SOC change (△SOC) and net GWP. The estimation of SOC stock change using △SOC suggested by the IPCC method may overestimate the contribution of green manure crops to global warming. The net GWP method with comprehensive input and output of carbon in the soil system could provide a better understanding of the carbon balance in soil systems. In the current study, the comparison of △SOC and net GWP was conducted for at one site of upland soil for 5years. Therefore, further research on estimating the effect of green manure crops on net GWP in various types of soil for longer years should be conducted.

Quantitative proteomics and metabolomics analysis reveals the response mechanism of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) to o-coumaric acid stress

O-coumaric acid (OCA), as a significant phenolic allelochemical found in hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth.), that can hinder the growth of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), particularly the growth of alfalfa roots. Nonetheless, the mechanism by which OCA inhibits alfalfa root growth remains unclear. In this study, a liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)-based quantitative proteomics analysis was carried out to identify differentially accumulated proteins (DAPs) under OCA treatment. The findings indicated that 680 proteins were DAPs in comparison to the control group. Of those, 333 proteins were up-regulated while 347 proteins were down-regulated. The enrichment analysis unveiled the significance of these DAPs in multiple biological and molecular processes, particularly in ribosome, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, glutathione metabolism, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis and flavonoid biosynthesis. The majority of DAPs reside in the cytoplasm (36.62%), nucleus (20.59%) and extracellular space (14.12%). In addition, phenylalanine deaminase was identified as a potential chemical-induced regulation target associated with plant lignin formation. DAPs were mainly enriched in flavonoid biosynthesis pathways, which were related to plant root size. Using the UPLC-ESI-MS/MS technique and database, a total of 87 flavonoid metabolites were discovered. The metabolites were predominantly enriched for biosynthesizing naringenin chalcone, which was linked to plant lignin formation, aligning with the enrichment outcomes of DAPs. Consequently, it was deduced that OCA impacted the structure of cell walls by mediating the synthesis of lignin in alfalfa roots, subsequently inducing wilt. Furthermore, a range of proteins have been identified as potential candidates for the breeding of alfalfa strains with enhanced stress tolerance.

Characteristics of the microbial communities regulate soil multi-functionality under different cover crop amendments in Ultisol

The use of cover crops is a promising strategy for influencing the soil microbial consortium, which is essential for the delivery of multiple soil functions (i.e., soil multifunctionality). Nonetheless, relatively little is known about the role of the soil microbial consortium in mediating soil multifunctionality under different cover crop amendments in dryland Ultisols. Here, we assessed the multifunctionality of soils subjected to four cover crop amendments (control, non-amended treatment; RD, radish monoculture; HV, hairy vetch monoculture; and RDHV, radish–hairy vetch mixture), and we investigated the contributions of soil microbial richness, network complexity, and ecological clusters to soil multifunctionality. Our results demonstrated that cover crops whose chemical composition differed from that of the main plant crop promoted higher multifunctionality, and the radish–hairy vetch mixture rendered the highest enhancement. We obtained evidence that changes in soil microbial richness and network complexity triggered by the cover crops were associated with higher soil multifunctionality. Specifically, specialized microbes in a key ecological cluster (ecological cluster 2) of the soil microbial network were particularly important for maintaining soil multifunctionality. Our results highlight the importance of cover crop-induced variations in functionally important taxa for promoting the soil multifunctionality of dryland Ultisols.

Case report: Systemic granulomatous disease with vasculitis in a bull due to hairy vetch (Vicia villosa) toxicosis

A 5-year-old Angus bull presented for generalized alopecia, thickened pleated skin and profuse malodorous watery diarrhea. This bull, along with 6 other beef bulls, had been grazing in a pasture containing hairy vetch (Vicia villosa) for 5-6 months. Diagnostic samples included blood for CBC and chemistry, skin biopsy and scrapings, fecal sample and liver biopsy. Biopsy of skin revealed a chronic, moderate, perivascular and perifollicular, eosinophilic to histiocytic-lymphocytic dermatitis with moderate acanthosis and hyperkeratosis indicative of an ongoing hypersensitivity reaction. The bull did not respond to treatment and was euthanized due to poor prognosis. At necropsy, disseminated systemic granulomatous disease with variable numbers of multinucleated giant cells and eosinophils was observed in multiple organs indicative of systemic granulomatous disease, along with vasculitis in the kidney, liver, and adrenal gland, indicative that vasculitis is involved in the pathogenesis of the lesions. Viral diseases were ruled out by immunohistochemistry of sections of kidney and by in situ hybridization on kidney sections. CD3, CD20, and CD79a lymphocyte markers immunostaining of sections of kidney revealed predominance of CD3 positive lymphocytes, indicative of predominance of T-cell lymphocytes supporting a type-IV hypersensitivity. The vasculitis observed prompted formulating a list of differential diagnoses for infectious diseases that have evidence of vasculitis, including bovine virus diarrhea virus and malignant catarrhal fever. Vasculitis, although previously described in cases of hairy vetch poisoning, is not observed in every single case of the disease. The remaining bulls were not removed from the pasture and none developed clinical signs.

A meta-analysis of hairy vetch as a previous cover crop for maize

BackgroundThe use of hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth.) as cover crop is increasing worldwide. Hairy vetch can contribute as a nitrogen (N) source with potential to impact subsequent high N demanding cereals such as maize (Zea mays L.). Contrasting literature results emphasize the need for a global synthesis analysis to quantify changes in maize yield after hairy vetch. ObjectivesA meta-analysis was conducted to i) quantify maize yield response to hairy vetch as previous crop, ii) explore hairy vetch influence on fertilized and non-N fertilized maize yields, and iii) assess the tillage and environment factors on maize yield response to hairy vetch. MethodsThe global systematic search yielded 23 publications selected by the following criteria, i) hairy vetch dry matter at the end of the season, ii) maize grain yield, and iii) experimental design with (Mzhv) and without (Mzcontrol) hairy vetch treatments. Information such as N fertilization for maize, N accumulation in hairy vetch, organic matter, and tillage before maize sowing were recorded. Hairy vetch effects (effect size) were expressed as a ratio (percentage of grain yield variation in Mzhv/Mzcontrol). ResultsUnder non-N fertilization (n = 9), results revealed hairy vetch had mostly a positive effect, ranging from 13 to 45% (n = 6). In contrast, N-fertilized maize (n = 20) showed a high chance of neutral effects (n = 12), moderate probability of positive yield impact (7 to 38%, n = 6), and a low likelihood of negative effects (−32 and −17%, n = 2). Notably, maize yields improved by 21–25% when the N accumulation in hairy vetch ranged from 95 to 150 kg ha−1 and N rate from 0 to 120 kg ha−1. Non-N-fertilized maize exhibited a 14% increase in response in no-till systems and a 31% increase with conventional tillage. ConclusionThis study summarizes potential benefits of hairy vetch preceding maize. Yet, the heterogeneous outcomes deserve further exploration in terms of environment and management factors.

Microbial community response to cover cropping varied with time after termination

AbstractThis study evaluates cover crop (CC) effects on microbial community structure in a winter wheat–sorghum–fallow rotation with pea, oat, and canola; mixtures of pea and oat; pea and canola; pea, oat, and canola; and six species mixture (SSM) of pea, oat, canola, hairy vetch, forage radish, and barley as CCs, and fallow as treatments. Soil microbial community structure was analyzed at CC termination (phase I), 36 days (phase II), and a year (phase III) after termination using an ester‐linked fatty acid methyl ester analysis. Total microbial biomass (TMB) under oats was significantly greater than under canola (by 47%) in phase I (p ≤ 0.05). The TMB was >48% under pea, pea + canola, and SSM, and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi was 70%–93% more under pea, canola, and their mixtures than fallow in phase II. While microbial abundance varied with CCs at and after 36 days post‐termination, these effects did not persist for a year. Long fallow period after cropping or cover cropping appears detrimental to microbial community proliferation.

A reference assembly for the legume cover crop hairy vetch (Vicia villosa).

Vicia villosa is an incompletely domesticated annual legume of the Fabaceae family native to Europe and Western Asia. V. villosa is widely used as a cover crop and forage due to its ability to withstand harsh winters. Here, we generated a reference-quality genome assembly (Vvill1.0) from low error-rate long-sequence reads to improve the genetic-based trait selection of this species. Our Vvill1.0 assembly includes seven scaffolds corresponding to the seven estimated linkage groups and comprising approximately 68% of the total genome size of 2.03 Gbp. This assembly is expected to be a useful resource for genetically improving this emerging cover crop species and provide useful insights into legume genomics and plant genome evolution.

Mixed sowing of Feed rape and Vicia villosa can substitute nitrogen fertilizer to improve soil multifunctionality in the Hetao irrigation District

Soil multifunctionality (SMF) and crop production of continuous green manure returning is crucial for sustainable agricultural development. Multiple cropping of green manure after wheat harvest is a typical planting pattern in the Hetao Irrigation District, and maybe substitute nitrogen (N) fertilizer. However, information is scarce about how the green manure affected SMF and crop production under limited nitrogen inputs. A 7-year field experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of green manure types (Feed rape (FR), Vicia villosa (VV), Feed rape, and Vicia villosa mixed sowing (FR + VV)) on soil properties, enzyme activities, SMF, and rotated wheat yield under different N application rates (150 kg N ha−1, N150; no nitrogen, N0). The results showed that FR and FR + VV increased soil active carbon (C) and N fractions by 4.0 %-499.3 % and 11.3 %-147.8 % compared to VV, respectively. Enzyme activities with FR + VV were significantly increased by 13.7 %-82.9 % compared to FR and VV. SMF and CCI (carbon cycling index) were significantly affected by N fertilizer and green manure types, with N0 higher than N150 by two times and FR + VV higher than FR by 1.4–4.3 times and VV by 1.0–6.6 times in 0–20 cm soil layer. Spring wheat yield was significantly affected by N fertilizer and green manure types, with N0 significantly higher than N150 by 5.8 % and FR and FR + VV higher than VV by 8.0 % and 12.5 % under N150, respectively. Partial least squares path model detected that returning of multiple green manure had a significant positive and indirect effect on SMF through enhancing soil enzyme activities, and ultimately contribute to the improvement in wheat yield. In conclusion, the mixed sowing of FR and VV increased soil active C and N fractions and associated enzyme activities, and has the potential to improve the SMF and rotated wheat yield, thereby providing an effective approach to reduce N fertilizer.

Analysis of factors controlling maize yield response to hairy vetch and to nitrogen fertilization after hairy vetch

Analysis of factors controlling maize yield response to hairy vetch and to nitrogen fertilization after hairy vetch

THE INFLUENCE OF WINTER GREEN MANURES ON THE FERTILITY OF THE SOIL UNDER THE VINEYARD

The paper presents data on the effect of phytoremediation: the use of a mixture of winter vetch and wheat as green manure [GM] and their combination with the microbial preparation Azotobacterin [AB] (GM +AB) in vineyard rows on soil fertility on piedmont carbonate chernozems. A variant with overgrowing of row spacing with segetal vegetation served as a control. The studies were conducted in 2018–2019 in the foothill zone of the Crimea in a vineyard founded in 2002, on grapes of cultivar ‘Bastardo Magarachsky’. Also, GM cultures were sown in November and plowed in May next year. It was found that 0.19–0.21 kg m–2 of organic matter dry mass got into the soil during the plowing with GM, 1.6 times more than in the control. Thus, GM leads to the accumulation of moisture in the layer 60–100 cm, 13.4% higher than the control, and an increase in pHH2O and active carbonates content within the permissible values for grapes. There was an accumulation of organic carbon by 0.31–0.45%, mobile forms of nutrients in the soil: NO3 - by 18%, P2O5 - by 3.2 times, K2O - by 39% in the 0–60 cm layer under the influence of GM.

Genome-wide association mapping in hairy vetch (Vicia villosa) discovers a large effect locus controlling seed dormancy.

Hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth), a winter-hardy annual legume, is a promising cover crop. To fully leverage its potential, seed production and field performance of V. villosa must be improved to facilitate producer adoption. Two classic domestication traits, seed dormancy (hard seed) and dehiscence (pod shatter), are selection targets in an ongoing breeding program. This study reports a genome-wide association study of 1,019 V. villosa individuals evaluated at two sites (Knox City, Texas and Corvallis, Oregon) for the proportion of dormant seed, visual pod dehiscence scores, and two dehiscence surrogate measures (force to dehiscence and pod spiraling score). Trait performance varied between sites, but reliability (related to heritability) across sites was strong (dormant seed proportion: 0.68; dehiscence score: 0.61; spiraling score: 0.42; force to dehiscence: 0.41). A major locus controlling seed dormancy was found (q-value: 1.29 × 10-5; chromosome 1: position: 63611165), which can be used by breeding programs to rapidly reduce dormancy in breeding populations. No significant dehiscence score QTL was found, primarily due to the high dehiscence rates in Corvallis, Oregon. Since Oregon is a potentially major V. villosa seed production region, further dehiscence resistance screening is necessary.

Modeling long-term transfers of radiocesium in farmland under different tillage and cover crop treatments

The 2011 nuclear accident at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) prompted inquiries about the long-term transfer of Cesium-137 (137Cs) from soil to agricultural plants. In this context, numerical modeling is particularly useful for the long-term evaluation of the consequences of agroecosystem contamination. Agricultural practices, such as tillage and cover cropping, play key roles in 137Cs recycling in agroecosystems. In this study, we used 10-year monitoring data to develop a dynamic model to predict 137Cs redistribution (via uptake, litterfall, translocation, and percolation) under different tillage (no-tillage, NT; rotary cultivation, RC; moldboard plow, MP) and cover crop (rye; hairy vetch; fallow weed) treatments. The verification exercise and assessment results indicated the model's reliability, as the temporal dynamics of predicted values agreed with observed values. Tillage significantly influenced the 137Cs distribution in soil, thereby decreasing plant uptake of 137Cs, whereas cover crop exerted a minimal effect on 137Cs cycling. Furthermore, while the 137Cs concentrations in soybean grain under RC and NT treatments were comparable 62 years after the FDNPP accident, the concentration under MP treatment remained consistently the lowest. Despite natural decay being the main cause of the decreased global 137Cs level in the agroecosystem, with minimal losses from percolation to deeper soil layers and soybean harvesting, adopting an appropriate tillage practice was shown to promote a long-term reduction of 137Cs concentration in crops. Finally, to improve the model's accuracy, further research should consider incorporating the effects of soil properties and extreme weather events on 137Cs flow into the model, as these factors are essential for realizing improved agroecosystem predictions.

Winter cropping improves yield, dry matter accumulation and translocation and nitrogen uptake of double-cropping rice

Winter cropping is widely considered as an effective way to increase rice yield. Therefore, this study was performed to find optimal winter cropping patterns in middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, China. Five experimental treatments were set up based on the long-term field experiment including winter fallow (CK), Chinese milk vetch winter cropping pattern (CRR), rapeseed winter cropping pattern (RRR), garlic winter cropping pattern (GRR), and winter multiple cropping rotation (ROT). The effects of different winter cropping patterns on the yield, dry matter accumulation and translocation, and plant nitrogen uptake were explored in double-cropping rice. The results showed that compared with CK, winter cropping increased the early and late rice yield by 7.91-10.70% and 3.57-6.89%, respectively. Similarly, compared with CK, winter cropping patterns also increased the number of spikes in early rice by 19.36-25.81% and CRR and ROT increased the effective number of spikes in late rice by 25.58% and 23.26% respectively. The dry matter (DM) translocation by stem and leaf of early rice under CRR was highest, with a 36.2% increase compared with CK, however, DM accumulation after heading in early rice under CRR was lowest. GRR decreased the dry matter translocation by stem and leaf in early rice but increased DM accumulation after heading in early and late rice by 65.28% and 13.44% as compared to CK. Moreover, ROT increased the dry matter translocation by stem and leaf in late rice by 112.63%. Additionally, GRR and ROT treatments increased the stem nitrogen uptake in early rice by 61.76% and 58.61% as compared to control, while CRR increased the nitrogen uptake by stem, leave and spike in late rice by 40.76%, 49.51% and 42.92%. In conclusion, CRR is more beneficial to increase DM accumulation and translocation by stem and leaf in double-cropping rice, and nitrogen uptake by rice plants.

Assessment of Herbaceous Plant Composition, Diversity, and Indicator Species in the Juniperus drupacea Forest Openings of the Mountain Parnonas in Greece

A significant challenge in community ecology is the establishment of ecological baselines, which permit the evaluation of the variations in ecological dynamics at different temporal and spatial scales. To our best knowledge, few studies have been conducted in the forest openings of Mt. Parnon to establish a baseline for future monitoring. Hence, a floristic study of the herbaceous plant species composition, diversity, cover, and biomass was conducted in the forest openings of the Mt. Parnon-Natura 2000 Site in Greece to develop an ecological baseline that could be utilized in decision making for conservation and the sustainable use of forest biodiversity and ecosystem services in the forest ecosystem of Mt. Parnon. In the spring season, a thorough floristic survey was performed on Mt. Parnon for two consecutive years, 2021 and 2022. Herbaceous plant composition, diversity, cover, biomass, and plant indicator species (indicator value analysis) in the forest openings of Mt. Parnon were assessed. In the studied area, 63 plant species belonging to 58 genera from 20 families were recorded. The most numerous families were Asteraceae and Poaceae, followed by Fabaceae. Variable plant diversity, herbaceous plant cover, and produced biomass were recorded in different sites. It is noteworthy that some plant species could be regarded as indicators of the sites in the study area [Geranium molle L., Cerastium candidissimum Correns, Vicia villosa Roth, Euphorbia myrsinites L., Odontarrhena muralis (Waldst. & Kit.) Endl., Medicago lupulina L., Lotus corniculatus L., Crepis fraasii Sch. Bip., Bellis sylvestris Cirillo, and Trifolium stellatum L.], and information about these indicators, including Ellenberg type indicator values, is also provided. This study contributes to the understanding of the relevant ecological topics and provides key elements that could be utilized in decision making for the conservation and sustainable use of forest biodiversity and ecosystem services on Mt. Parnon.

Comparative Analysis of Undersown Cover Crops and Bio-Preparations on Weed Spread and Organically Grown Spring Oilseed Rape Yield

Undersown cover crops are an important tool for weed control in organic farming. The hypothesis of this research was that undersown crimson (incarnate) clover (Trifolium incarnatum Broth.), hairy (winter) vetch (Vicia villosa Roth.), perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), and winter rye (Secale cereale L.) in combination with bio-preparations inhibit the spread of weeds and influence the seed yield of spring oilseed rape in organic farming. The dry biomass of undersown cover crops, as well as the number and dry biomass of weeds, were determined before harvesting spring oilseed rape (Brassica napus L. spp. oleifera biennis Metzg.) (main crop) to identify the underlying influences on seed yield. We summarized that hairy vetch was distinguished by its rapid growth and by the fact that it produced an aboveground dry biomass that was significantly higher (1.9 to 12.4 times) compared with other cover crops, while crimson clover grown as a cover crop had a significantly higher aboveground dry biomass (by a factor of 3.2 to 4.9) compared with that of perennial ryegrass and winter rye. During the spring oilseed growing season, undersown cover crops did not suppress early emerging weeds that had not been controlled by inter-row loosening. During the spring growing season, weeds were best suppressed using bio-preparation-treated perennial ryegrass. The highest oilseed rape seed yield was obtained in 2020 after the application of bio-preparations in plots without any cover crops. Perennial ryegrass as a cover crop in combination with bio-preparations produced the highest reduction in oilseed rape seed yield. Further research should be directed toward determining the long-term effects of cover crops and bio-preparations on plant community formation in organic farming.