Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

Intercropping legumes with Winter Oilseed Rape (WOSR) presents a viable agro-ecological strategy to mitigate issues in monoculture systems, including insufficient weed control, overdependence on synthetic nitrogen fertilizers, and diminished crop biodiversity. While intercropping with cereals and legumes is extensively documented for its agronomic and ecological advantages, such as enhanced resource use efficiency, soil health, and production, the intercropping of winter oilseed rape with legumes is still inadequately investigated. This study examines the impact of several WOSR-legume intercropping combinations on crop growth, productivity, nitrogen and chlorophyll content and also weed assessment. The experiment was performed at the Lönnstorp research station of the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), with 24 intercropping treatments replicated across four plots utilizing a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD). Weed coverage percentages were determined for all 24 treatments while chlorophyll content was determined for 20 treatments. Furthermore, measurement of dry biomass weight and nitrogen content in WOSR, legumes, weeds were estimated in 13 treatments. The study revealed that intercropping WOSR with over-wintering peas under reduced N input, 50 cm wide row spacing between and 25% sowing density of winter peas planted six weeks after WOSR, had the highest leaf chlorophyll content and indicate less weed density. Moreover, the intercropping treatments improved nitrogen and chlorophyll content compared with sole crop winter oilseed rape (WOSR). Notably, WOSR intercropped with over-wintering faba bean using reduced N input with 50 cm wide row spacing and 50% faba bean sowing density sown 10 days after WOSR produced the highest legume biomass and nitrogen content. These results show that intercropping can reduce the use of synthetic fertilizers and herbicides, improve weed suppression, and maximize nitrogen use efficiency. It has the potential to fosters sustainable agriculture by enhancing the quality of the soil and avoiding negative impacts on the environment.