To N-fertilize cereal-legume intercrops or not? (ReMIX Practice abstract) (original) (raw)

{Tool}To N-fertilize cereal-legume intercrops or not? (ReMIX Practice abstract). Creator(s): Justes, Eric and Bedoussac, Laurent. Issuing Organisation(s): Cirad - La recherche agronomique pour le développement, ENSEFA - The National Teacher Training School in Agronomy, INRAE - National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment, IFOAM EU. ReMIX Practice abstracts, no. 3. (2020)

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Document available online at: https://www.remix-intercrops.eu/content/download/4095/38997/version/1/file/%2312%20Is%20it%20useful%20to%20N%20fertilise%20intercrops%20for%20improving%20their%20yield_final.pdf

Summary in the original language of the document

Outcome
Intercropping cereal-legume usually results in a higher cereal grain protein concentration compared to sole crop cereal, and the greatest benefit is always obtained without N-fertilizer.
Practical recommendations
• The efficiency of synthetic N-fertilizer is generally high (> 75% of N applied). It always increases the proportion of cereal in an intercrop with legumes, regardless of the sowing density and pedoclimatic conditions.
• The efficiency of organic N-fertilizer is always low (< 20%), so it is not relevant to apply in organic farming.
• For winter intercrops (e.g. wheat-winter pea), the N fertilization must be adapted and based on the: i) proportion of species observed in March, ii) grain yield targeted, and iii) proportion of the two species expected at harvest. To increase cereal grain yield, N-fertilizer could be applied during stem elongation (40-80 kg N/ha), while to increase the cereal grain protein concentration, it should be applied at earing (30-50 kg N/ha).
• For spring intercrops (e.g. spring barley-spring pea), no N fertilization is generally required, except to ensure a high proportion of cereal grains at harvest by applying N-fertilizer at the end of tillering (30-60 kg N/ha).
Practical testing/ Farmers’ experiences
Farmers should try different N fertilization rates and/or times, for example, in strips across a field, to visually compare the effect of N fertilization on yield, species proportion and cereal grain protein concentration. Start with a small number of rates and/or times (including no fertilizer) and repeat the test for more than a year to improve know-how.

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