Nitrogen replacement value of alfalfa to corn and wheat under irrigated Mediterranean conditions

View/ Open
Issue date
2010Suggested citation
Ballesta Remy, Astrid;
Lloveras Vilamanyà, Jaume;
.
(2010)
.
Nitrogen replacement value of alfalfa to corn and wheat under irrigated Mediterranean conditions.
Spanish Journal of Agricultural Research, 2010, vol. 8, núm. 1, p. 159-169.
https://doi.org/10.5424/sjar/2010081-1155.
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
In crop rotations that include alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), agronomic and environmental concerns mean that it is important to determine the N fertilizer contribution of this legume for subsequent crops in order to help to increase the sustainability of cropping systems. To determine the N fertilizer replacement value (FRV) of a 2-yr alfalfa crop on subsequent crops of corn (Zea mays L.) followed by wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under irrigated Mediterranean conditions, two 4-yr rotations (alfalfa-corn-wheat and corn-corn-corn-wheat) were conducted from 2001 to 2004 in a Typic Xerofluvent soil. Corn yields were compared after two years of alfalfa and a third year of corn under monoculture and wheat yields were also compared after both rotations. Corn production after alfalfa outyielded monoculture corn at all four rates of N fertilizer application analyzed (0, 100, 200 and 300 kg N/ha). The FRV of 2-yr alfalfa for corn was about 160 kg N/ha. Wheat grown after the alfalfa-corn rotation outyielded that grown after corn under monoculture at both the rates of N studied (0 and 100 kg N/ha). The FRV of alfalfa for wheat following alfalfa-corn was about 76 kg N/ha. Soil NO3 -N content after alfalfa was greater than with the corn monoculture at all rates of N fertilizer application and this higher value persisted during the second crop after alfalfa. This was probably one of the reasons for the better yields associated with the alfalfa rotation. These results make a valuable contribution to irrigated agriculture under mediterranean conditions, show reasons for interest in rotating alfalfa with corn, and explain how it is possible to make savings when applying N fertilizer.
Is part of
Spanish Journal of Agricultural Research, 2010, vol. 8, núm. 1, p. 159-169European research projects
Related items
Showing items related by title, author, creator and subject.
-
The effect of row spacing on alfalfa seed and forage production under irrigated mediterranean agricultural conditions
Chocarro, Cristina; Lloveras Vilamanyà, Jaume (John Wiley & Sons, 2015-12)We evaluated the effect of row spacing on seed and forage yields in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) using combined seed and forage production plots, in an irrigated Mediterranean agricultural environment. We compared three ... -
Sowing date affects maize development and yield in irrigated Mediterranean environments
Maresma Galindo, Ángel; Ballesta Remy, Astrid; Santiveri Morata, Paquita; Lloveras Vilamanyà, Jaume (MDPI, 2019-03-26)Timely sowing is critical for maximizing yield for both grain and biomass in maize.The effects of early (mid-March), normal (mid-April), and late (mid-May) sowing date (SD) werestudied over a three-year period in irrigated ... -
Short communication. Nitrogen content of residual alfalfa taproots under irrigation
Cela, Sebastian; Santiveri Morata, Paquita; Lloveras Vilamanyà, Jaume (Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (Espanya), 2013)The decomposition of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) residues can provide significant amounts of N to subsequent crops, but most of the data on this subject has been obtained from 1-2 year old alfalfa stands. The objective ...