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Securing humus supply with green and straw manure - Economic evaluation of management strategies (HumuGS)

Project


Project code: 2811NA094
Contract period: 01.09.2015 - 15.07.2016
Budget: 25,013 Euro
Purpose of research: Applied research

The aim of the project was to develop a new basis for the parameterization of green manure and straw in soil organic matter balances, and to identify options for sustainable organic matter supply to soils in organic as well as non-organic stockless arable farming systems. For this purpose, the project comprised analytical work packages to develop a data base for the parameterization of the HU-MOD model on C and N balances in the soil-plant system, as well as work packages for modeling and evaluation of scenarios for different soil-climate regions in Germany. Scenarios were evaluated with an integrated approach combining the agro-ecological with an economic perspective. A sufficient supply of organic matter to soils in stockless organic farming systems requires the inclusion of fodder legumes in rotations. Catch crops, grain legumes and residues of cash crops do usually not supplement enough nitrogen to replace exported N in harvest products of crops that originates from soil organic matter mineralization. In an economic perspective, the best option is to convert fodder legumes from green manure to cash crops in fodder/manure cooperation with other farms, or by using them for biogas production. The required supply of organic matter to soils is usually lower in non-organic than in organic farming systems, due to the lower demand of N to supply nitrogen from soil organic matter mineralization that has been exported with harvest products. Still, harvest residues are in most cases not sufficient to supply soils with organic matter. Green manure catch crops or fodder legumes in crop rotations can be a viable option, and my even be profitable with regard to economic aspects. It could be shown that measures for the sustainable supply of organic matter to soils in arable crop rotations can even pay in an economic perspective, if ecosystem services provided by the measures are credited. In particular, there are economically viable options for the inclusion of fodder legumes in crop rotations, even if a reduction of the cash crop area is considered. For a full agronomical evaluation of strategies for the sustainable supply of organic matter to soils it must be taken into account, though, that the effects may develop over time.

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