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Grass-Legume Mixtures for Improved Soil Health in Cultivated Agroecosystem

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  • Dhruba Dhakal

    (College of Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources, University of Missouri Extension, Chariton County, Keytesville, MO 65261, USA
    Department of Plant Sciences, University of Wyoming, Department 3354, 1000 E. University Ave., Laramie, WY 82071, USA)

  • M. Anowarul Islam

    (Department of Plant Sciences, University of Wyoming, Department 3354, 1000 E. University Ave., Laramie, WY 82071, USA)

Abstract

Planting grass-legume mixtures may be a good option to improve soil health in addition to increased forage productivity, improved forage nutritive value, and net farm profit in a hay production system. A field experiment was conducted from 2011 to 2014 at Lingle, Wyoming to evaluate soil microbial biomass under different seeding proportions of two forage grasses (meadow bromegrass, Bromus biebersteinii Roem. & Schult.; and orchardgrass, Dactylis glomerata L.) and one legume (alfalfa, Medicago sativa L.). Nine treatments included monoculture grass, monoculture legume, one grass and one legume mixture, two grasses and one legume mixture, and a control (not seeded with grass or legume). Monoculture grass received either no nitrogen (N) or N fertilizer (150 kg N ha −1 year −1 as urea) whereas monoculture legume, grass-legume mixtures, and control plots received no N fertilizer. The study was laid out as a randomized complete block design with three replications. The plots were harvested 3–4 times each year after the establishment year. Soil samples were collected and analyzed for microbial biomass using phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis at the end of May in 2013 and 2014. Soil samples were also analyzed for mineralizable carbon (C) and N in 2013 and 2014. The total above-ground plant biomass was higher in 50–50% mixture of grass and alfalfa than monoculture alfalfa and monoculture grass (with and without N fertilizer) during the entire study period. The application of N fertilizer to the grass hay production system had little effect on improving mineralizable soil C, N, and soil microbial biomass. However, grass-legume mixture without N fertilizer had great effect on improvement of mineralizable soil C and N, and total, bacterial, and actinomycetes microbial biomass in soil. The 50–50% mixture of grass and alfalfa performed consistently well and can be considered to use in Wyoming conditions for improving soil health and forage productivity.

Suggested Citation

  • Dhruba Dhakal & M. Anowarul Islam, 2018. "Grass-Legume Mixtures for Improved Soil Health in Cultivated Agroecosystem," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(8), pages 1-14, August.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:8:p:2718-:d:161518
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Richard D. Bardgett & Roger S. Smith & Robert S. Shiel & Simon Peacock & Janet M. Simkin & Helen Quirk & Phil J. Hobbs, 2006. "Parasitic plants indirectly regulate below-ground properties in grassland ecosystems," Nature, Nature, vol. 439(7079), pages 969-972, February.
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    Cited by:

    1. Shamina Imran Pathan & Silvia Scibetta & Chiara Grassi & Giacomo Pietramellara & Simone Orlandini & Maria Teresa Ceccherini & Marco Napoli, 2020. "Response of Soil Bacterial Community to Application of Organic and Inorganic Phosphate Based Fertilizers under Vicia faba L. Cultivation at Two Different Phenological Stages," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(22), pages 1-20, November.
    2. Chunxia Yang & Hua Zheng & Binbin Huang & Ruonan Li & Zhiyun Ouyang & Cong Li, 2018. "Crop Structure Changes Altered the Cropland Nitrogen Balance between 2005 and 2015 on the Sanjiang Plain, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-14, November.
    3. Denise M. Finney & Samantha Garritano & Matthew Kenwood, 2021. "Forage Species Identity Shapes Soil Biota in a Temperate Agroecosystem," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-15, May.

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