Effect of green manure crops, termination method, stubble crops and fallow on soil water, available N and exchangeable P.

Mooleki, S.P., Gan, Y., Lemke, R.L., Zentner, R.P. and Hamel, C. Effect of green manure crops, termination method, stubble crops and summerfallow on soil water, available N and exchangeable P. Can. J. Plant Sci. 96: xxx-xxx. Green manure crops may have a role to play in the development of sustainable agricultural systems in the semiarid northern Great Plains of North America. This study determined the benefits of different green manure crops, seeding dates, and termination methods on soil nitrogen, phosphorus and moisture, as well as the performance of durum wheat following green manures the following year. Field experiments were conducted at Swift Current, Saskatchewan, 2006-2009. Three green manure crops [forage pea (Pisum sativum L.), chickling vetch (Lathyrus sativus L.) and black lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.)] were seeded in May, June and July and terminated at full bloom using glyphosate, rototilling or by frost. Other treatments included summerfallow and stubble of selected crops harvested for grain or silage. Different green manure crops, seeding dates or termination methods had similar effects on soil moisture, available N and exchangeable P at termination or the following spring. These effects of green manure management on soil residual characteristics were comparable to those observed under summerfallow, but higher than those on grain or silage stubble. Therefore, green manure is a viable alternative to summerfallowing and could be seeded any time during the growing season. If seeded late, green manure could be terminated by frost, thus saving on costs.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author