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Ridge Cultivation for the Adaption of Fodder Maize ( Zea mays L.) to Suboptimal Conditions of Low Mountain Ranges in Organic Farming in Central Europe

Author

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  • Tsvetelina Krachunova

    (Faculty of Agriculture/Environment/Chemistry, Dresden University of Applied Science, 01326 Dresden, Germany
    Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF e.V.), 15374 Müncheberg, Germany)

  • Martin Scholz

    (Faculty of Agriculture/Environment/Chemistry, Dresden University of Applied Science, 01326 Dresden, Germany)

  • Sonoko D. Bellingrath-Kimura

    (Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF e.V.), 15374 Müncheberg, Germany)

  • Knut Schmidtke

    (Faculty of Agriculture/Environment/Chemistry, Dresden University of Applied Science, 01326 Dresden, Germany
    Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), 5070 Frick, Switzerland)

Abstract

Fodder maize cultivation under low mountain conditions in Central Europe presents obstacles for organic dairy farmers; low temperatures and high precipitation values in spring delay the juvenile development of maize, which leads to lower and fluctuating yields. Increasing the soil temperature during the critical growth phase of maize in spring is beneficial for maize cultivation. For this reason, 0.15 m high ridge-row cultivation (RCM) of maize was compared to a typical flat surface cultivation method (FCM) with 0.75 m row spacing in three environments (En) in 2017, 2018 and 2020 on-farm at low mountain sites in Germany. In the experiment, with randomised block design and one-factorial arrangement, soil temperature (ST) at 0.05 m soil depth at midday, field emergence (FE) 4, 8, 16 and 20 days after sowing (DAS), dry matter yields (DM) in every En and plant development and N, P, K content in En 2020 were investigated. RCM led to a significantly higher ST 4 DAS in every En, 12 and 20 days in 2018 and 8 and 16 DAS in 2020. RCM did not accelerate maize FE but positively impacted plant development and starch content. RCM generated a higher dry matter (DM) yield of whole maize plants and corn cobs, and a higher protein yield than FCM. RCM slightly increased the plant-available P and Mg content from 0 to 0.3 m and influenced significantly the mineral N content from 0 to 0.3 m at the beginning of grain development. RCM, a simple cultivation technique, demonstrated benefits for maize cultivation, particularly for climatically marginal locations in Germany.

Suggested Citation

  • Tsvetelina Krachunova & Martin Scholz & Sonoko D. Bellingrath-Kimura & Knut Schmidtke, 2023. "Ridge Cultivation for the Adaption of Fodder Maize ( Zea mays L.) to Suboptimal Conditions of Low Mountain Ranges in Organic Farming in Central Europe," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-21, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jagris:v:13:y:2023:i:3:p:650-:d:1092939
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Zhenqing Xia & Guixin Zhang & Shibo Zhang & Qi Wang & Yafang Fu & Haidong Lu, 2021. "Efficacy of Root Zone Temperature Increase in Root and Shoot Development and Hormone Changes in Different Maize Genotypes," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-13, May.
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