
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Hossain, SA 
A1  - Strong, WM 
A1  - Waring, SA 
A1  - Dalal, RC 
A1  - Weston, EJ 
T1  - Comparison of legume-based cropping systems at Warra, Queensland. 2. Mineral nitrogen accumulation and availability to the subsequent wheat crop
JF  - Soil Research
JO  - Soil Res.
Y1  - 1996
VL  - 34
IS  - 2
SP  - 289
EP  - 297
KW  - pasture leys, legumes.
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1071/SR9960289 
N2  - Mineral nitrogen release following legume-based cropping systems for restoring the fertility of a Vertisol and the yield response and N uptake of subsequent wheat crops was studied. Legume phases of pastures, including a 4 year grass+legume ley, and lucerne and medic leys (~1 year) were terminated in October 1988 or 1989 and rotated with wheat. Chickpea-wheat rotations matched those of lucerne and medic leys. Mineral N accumulations during a subsequent fallow period were determined by core sampling to 1.5 m in October, February and May. Grain yield and N uptake of wheat enabled comparisons of the fertility restorative effects of the various systems relative to continuous wheat cropping. Averaged for two fallow periods, increases in mineral N down to 1.2 m depth were 93, 91, 68, and 37 kg/ha following grass+legume, lucerne and medic leys, and chickpea, respectively, compared with the continuous wheat treatment. Wheat yields were generally lower in 1989 (1.85&ndash;2.88 t/ha) than in 1990 (2.08&ndash;3.59 t/ha) following all leys and crops due to seasonal conditions. There was a grain yield increase of 0.11 and 0.52 t/ha in 1989 and 1.23 and 1.26 t/ha in 1990 following lucerne and medic leys, respectively and 0.85 t/ha in 1990 following a 4 year grass+legume ley. Following chickpea there was a yield increase of 0.81 and 1.36 t/ha in 1989 and 1990 respectively. Nitrogen uptake by wheat was increased by 40 and 49 kg/ha in 1989 and 48 and 58 kg/ha in 1990 following lucerne and medic leys respectively and 63 kg/ha in 1990 following a 4 year grass+legume ley. Following chickpea N uptake by wheat was increased by 27 and 32 kg/ha in 1989 and 1990 respectively. Grain protein concentration of wheat was substantially higher following all pasture leys (11.7&ndash;15.8%) than following wheat (8.0&ndash;9.4%) or chickpea (9.4&ndash;10.1%). Therefore, there was substantial evidence of the effectiveness of pasture leys in soil fertility restoration, as reflected in mineral N, yield response and N uptake by subsequent wheat crops. 
ER  -

