Trial Report Summary

6-Year Rotation of Integrated Soil Management

Centre(s):
PCDF
Year(s):
2018
Collaborators(s):

James Frey – Diversification Specialist, Manitoba Agriculture
Haider Abbas – Diversification Technician, Manitoba Agriculture
Jessica Frey – Research Technician, PCDF

Objective(s):

To examine the potential benefits of a six-year crop rotation using herbicides and green manures for fertility management

Project Findings:

A biomass sample was taken at flowering at the end of July providing a yield of 6100 lbs/ac (dry weight).  Following the fieldwork of Martin Entz’s organic crops laboratory, we assume 2.5% nitrogen content of the green manure, which equates to 152 lbs/ac N.  The crop was disked at the end of July, and some regrowth occurred, helping to sequester the N.

Background:

Growing green manures to provide nitrogen to the cropping system is a key element of organic crop production.  This project compares using green manures for nitrogen production in a system with and without herbicides, granular phosphorus and tillage.  The project will compare overall production costs between the treatments and conventional production.

The 2018 season was a green manure year.  In 2019, wheat plots will be established.

PDF:

Entire findings are available by downloading the report PDF.

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