Paper details

Title:

The Effect of Crop Rotation on Nitrogen Use of Maize on a Clay Soil In Central Greece

Author(s):

Skoufogianni, E., Bartzialis, D., Danalatos, N.G., Efthimiadis, P.

Document(s):

Abstract:

The viability of energy crops for biofuel production is largely dependent on input minimization. Rotation with winter legume crops seems to be very strong management practice. Research indicated that the maize response to pea residues was of grate importance. Nitrogen is a key input for sustaining high yields in cereal crops, but the fertilizer N uptake efficiency in these crops is relatively low (< 50%). A 2­year field experiment with maize was conducted in central Greece (Larissa area, Thessaly plain) in the years 2007 through 2009. The study soil is characterized by high clay content and vertic properties. The experiment was a factorial split plot design in three blocks. The first factor concerns the cultivation of Pisum sativum in the winter periods in 3 treatments: control, harvested or incorporated in the soil. The second factor was N­dressings at 4 levels (0, 80, 160, 240 kg/ha). The results point to a great positive effect of crop rotation with pisum especially if the cover crop is incorporated into the top soil. The seed yield of maize ranging from 5.6 t/ha to 7.5 t/ha depending on N­dressing increased substantially in the crop rotation plots and fluctuated from 9.7 (zero N­application) to 13.2 t/ha (dressing 240 N/ha). The NUE at a value of 58 kg/kg was found generally, confirming relevant previous results cited in the literature. The base (control) uptake increased from 80 kg/ha to 160 kg/ha, and the recovery fraction increased from 13% in the control plots to 31% for the plots that pisum was incorporated.

Keywords:

bioenergy, maize, biofuels, Greece, cover crop, nitrogen use

Topic:

Biomass Resources

Subtopic:

Energy crops (session 5)

Event:

19th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition

Session:

VP1.3.51

Pages:

700 - 702

ISBN-13:

978-88-89407-55-4

ISBN-10:

88-89407-55-7

Paper DOI:

10.5071/19thEUBCE2011-VP1.3.51

Price:

FREE