Abstract
Organic manuring is suggested to be necessary in sweet corn cultivation. It is not always possible to use farmyard manure due to economic, production or technical reasons. Catch crops used as green manures can be an alternative source of organic matter. A field experiment was carried out in central-eastern Poland to investigate the effect of phacelia and amaranth catch crops used as green manures on sweet corn growth and yields. Catch crops were sown at three dates: 21st July, 4th and 18th August, and incorporated in late October. Sweet corn was cultivated in the first year following manuring. The effect of the green manures was compared to farmyard manure applied at a rate of 40 t·ha-1 and a nonmanured control. Of the catch crops examined, the highest yield of fresh and dry matter was
obtained for phacelia sown on the 21st of July (33.6 t·ha-1 f.m. and 6.3 t·ha-1 d.m.) and 4th of August (33.7 t·ha-1 f.m. and 5.5 t·ha-1 d.m.). A delayed sowing date of phacelia seeds, from 21st of July to the 18th of August, caused a decrease in the quantity of fresh matter and dry matter by 26 and 37%. Amaranth sown on the 21st of July produced 26.2 and 5.3 t·ha-1 fresh and dry matter. Delaying the sowing date of amaranth seeds by 14 and 28 days decreased the yield of fresh and dry matter by 18 and 55–58%. There were found similar effects on yield of farmyard manure, phacelia and amaranth catch crops sown on the 21st of July. Delaying the sowing date of catch crops by 2 and 4 weeks decreased the marketable yields of corn cobs by, respectively, 16.2 and 28.9% for phacelia and by 12.8 and 24.4% for amaranth. The average weight of marketable corn cobs cultivated after farmyard manure, phacelia and amaranth catch crops sown on the 21st of July and phacelia sown
on the 4th of August were similar. Biological productivity of corn cobs following farmyard manure and the catch crops examined (except amaranth sown on the 18th of August) was similar and ranged from 66.5 to 72%. ‘Chalenger F1’ produced marketable cobs with a higher average weight but with lower biological productivity than ‘Sweet Wonder F1’.
References
Abdin O.A., Coulman B. E., Cloutier D.C., Faris M.A., Smith D.L., 1997. Establishment, development and yield of forage legumes and grasses as cover crops in grain corn in eastern Canada. J. Agron. Crop Sci. 179, 19–27.
Brzeski M. W., Smolińska U., Szczech M., Paul M., Ostrzycka J., 1993. Short term effect of green manuring on soil inhabiting nematodes and microorganisms. Nematologia medit. 21, 169–176.
Campbell T.A., Abbott J.A., 1982. Field evaluation of vegetable amaranth (Amaranthus ssp.). Hort. Sci. 17, 3, 407–409.
Choi B., Daimon H., 2008. Effect of hairy vetch incorporated as green manure on growth and N uptake of sorghum crop. Plant Prod. Sci. 11, 211–216.
Clark A.J., Meisinger J.J., Decker A.M., Mulford F.R., 2007. Effects of a grass-selective herbicide in a vetch-rye cover crop system on corn grain yield and soil moisture. Agron. J., 99, 43–48.
Collins H.P., Delgado J.A., Alva A.K., Follett, R.F., 2007. Use of nitrogen – 15 isotopic techniques to estimate nitrogen cycling from a mustred cover crop to potatoes. Agron. J., 99, 27–35.
Creamer N.G., 1996. Evaluation of summer cover for use vegetable production systems. Hort. Sci., 31, 5, 749.
Franczuk J., 2003. The fertilizing value of straw and summer catch crops from non-papilionaceous plants in relation to vegetable yielding. Electron. J. Pol. Agric. Univ., Hort., 6, 1.
Gregorová H., Babeľová M., Ďurková E., 2001. Productivity and quality of amaranth aboveground biomass. Acta Fytotech. et Zootech. 4, 69–70.
Hruszka M., 1996. Alternatywne funkcje roślin i możliwość ich wykorzystania w systemach rolnictwa integrowanego i ekologicznego. Post. Nauk Rol. 3, 93–101.
Jabłońska-Ceglarek R., Rosa R., 2005. The effect of forecrop green fertilizers on the yielding and growth of sugar maize ‘Landmark F1’. Electron. J. Pol. Agric. Univ., Hort., 8, 4.
Jabłońska-Ceglarek R., Zaniewicz-Bajkowska A., Rosa R., 2004. The effect of green manure and soil liming on the yielding of rooted celery, ‘Edward’ cv. Electron. J. Pol. Agric. Univ., Hort., 7, 1.
Kołota E., Adamczewska-Sowińska K., 2004. The effects of living mulches on yield, overwintering and biological value of leek. Acta Hort. 638, 209–214.
Kołota E., Winiarska S., 2003. Wartość nawozowa żywych ściółek uprawianych współrzędnie z porem (Allium porrum L.) oraz ich następczy wpływ na plonowanie kapusty głowiastej białej (Brassica oleracea var. capitata L. f. alba DC.). Zesz. Probl. Post. Nauk Roln. 494, 199–206.
Kuo S., Jellum E.J., 2002. Influence of winter cover crop and residue management on soil nitrogen availability and corn. Agron. J. 94, 501–508.
Michałojć Z., Nurzyński, J., Kossowski J.M., 1996. Wpływ nawożenia azotowo-potasowego na plonowanie i skład chemiczny kukurydzy cukrowej. Annales UMCS, sec. EEE, Horticultura 4, 13, 95–103.
Mwaja V.N., Masiunas J.B., Eastman C.E., 1996. Rye (Secale cereale L.) and hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth) intercrop management in fresh-market vegetables. J. Americ. Soc. Hort. Sci., 121, 3, 586–591.
PN-R-75377:1996. Kukurydza cukrowa.
PN-88/R-04013. Analiza chemiczno-rolnicza roślin. Oznaczanie powietrznie suchej i suchej masy.
Raimbault B.A., Vyn T.J., Tollenaar M., 1990. Corn response to rye cover crop management and spring tillage systems. Agron. J. 82, 1088–1093.
Richards I.R., Wallace P.A., Turner I.D.S., 1996. A comparison of six cover crop types in terms of nitrogen uptake and effect on response to nitrogen by a subsequent spring barley crop. J. Agric. Sci. 127, 441–449.
Schmid O., Klay R., 1984. Green Manuring, Principles and Practice. Woods End Agricultural Institute, Mt. Vernon, Maine. Translated by W. F. Brinton, Jr., from a publication of the Research Institute for Biological Husbandry. Switzerland. 50 p.
Szymanek M., Niedziółka I., Dobrzański B. jr., 2004. Właściwości fizyczne ziarna kukurydzy cukrowej w aspekcie jego mechanicznego odcinania. Acta Agrophys. 107, 4, 77 p.
Tejada M., Gonzales J.L., García-Martínez A.M., Parado J., 2008. Effects of different green manures on soil biological properties and maize yield. Biores. Technol. 99, 1758–1767.
Vos J., van der Putten P.E.L., 2001. Field observations on nitrogen catch crops. III. Transfer of nitrogen to the succeeding main crop. Plant and Soil 236, 263–273.
Wadas W., 1998. Studia nad działaniem nawozowym międzyplonów i słomy w uprawie ziemniaków wczesnych. Rozpr. Nauk. 54, Wyd. AP Siedlce.
Waligóra H., 2007. Kukurydza cukrowa – aktualne problemy produkcji. Wieś Jutra 104, 3, 6–8.
Waligóra H., Kruczek A., 2003. Wpływ terminu siewu na plonowanie dwóch odmian kukurydzy cukrowej. Fragm. Agron. 3, 79, 27–39.
Waligóra H., Szulc P., Skrzypczak W., 2008. Podatność odmian kukurydzy cukrowej na głownię guzowatą (Ustilago zeae Beckm.). Nauka Przyr. Technol. 2, 3, #17.
Wilczewski E., Skinder Z., 2005. Zawartość i akumulacja makroskładników w biomasie roślin niemotylkowatych uprawianych w międzyplonie ścierniskowym. Acta Sci. Pol., Agric. 4, 1, 163–173.
World Reference Base for Soil Resources. 1998. World Soil Resource Reports FAO, ISRIC, ISSS, Rome.
Wyland L.J., Jackson L.E., Chaney W.E., Klonsky K., Koike S.T., Kimple B., 1996. Winter cover crops in a vegetable cropping system: Impacts on nitrate leaching, soil water, crop yield, pests and management costs. Agric. Eco-Syst. Environ. 59, 1–17.
Downloads
Download data is not yet available.
