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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Morris, Minnesota » Soil Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #100494
Title: GROWTH OF LEGUMES INTERSEEDED IN VEGETATIVELY MATURE MAIZE

Author
item MATTSON, NEIL - UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
item Olness, Alan
item LOPEZ, DIAN - UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA

Submitted to: Minnesota Academy of Science Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/24/1999
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Legumes are a source of nitrogen as a result of symbiosis with various species of Rhizobia. A two-year field study was conducted to determine the amount of legume biomass produced from planting legumes during the flowering stage of maize (Zea mays L.). Hairy vetch (Villa vilosa L.), alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), white clover (Trifolium repens L.), medic (Medicago lupulina L.) or lupin (Lupinus albus L.) was grown in a randomized block design with four replications at 4 sites. Legume vegetation was clipped at ground level in mid-October. Samples were dried at 60 deg C in a forced draft oven and weighed. Nitrogen content of the legume was determined using a LECO model 2000 HCN carbon analyzer. Regression analyses show that hairy vetch is rather insensitive to competition by maize. Alfalfa showed moderate sensitivity to competition by maize and medic clover was highly sensitive to competition from maize. White clover and lupin germinated but died in the early vegetative stages, perhaps due to lack of water or light or both. Therefore, choice of legume depends on the expected maize canopy cover which affects the response of the legume. Average yields of interseeded legume ranged from about 460 kg per hectare for alfalfa and medic to about 640 kg per hectare for vetch. Average N content of the legume biomass was about 4%.