How much N is actually available for a following winter crop after a clover/legume fallow?

snarling bee

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Bedfordshire
There is and has been increasing talk about using N fixing crops/cover crops to reduce our reliance on bagged N. Forgetting other benefits, how much N is actually available to the following crop? and does this cover the cost of the CC seed and establishment? which with machinery and fuel costs where they are is not insignificant.
There is no point pi$$ing in the wind, spending a £ to save 90p on bought in fert.
 

Fish

Member
Location
North yorkshire
Got 3 examples here, I can’t give you how much n in the soil as I never tested.

F1- crimson clover in 21, spring wheat 22 ( should have been ww, but far to wet to drill)
spring glypho, 1 in crop herb, 1 fungi, 70kgs n = 6.8t/Ha

F2- 2year clover break, crimson/red mix, autumn glypho, ww Extase , 1 s herb, 2 fungi, 150 kgs n = 12.7t/Ha.

F3- failed rape re drilled with white clover (3kg ha) in June 21,
1 autumn glypho, ww Extase, 1 s herb, 2 fungi, 150 kg n = 11.2t/Ha.

make of that what you will, but in both F2 and 3 those yields were records for those fields.
sandy loam/medium loam, no till.
 

Grass And Grain

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Yorks
Complete guess, but I'd imagine the legume crop will use much of the nitrogen it produces. But if mulched in as a green crop, then the plant material will be high protein/N, and some of that N should come available to the crop (particularly if green / non lignified)?
 
When I mintilled a 4 year clover ley in 2007 the yield in 2008 was 12 tonne plus per ha from normal rates
the clover opens the soil up but also gives some early n and slow release n
if I had only used 150 kg the yield would have been 11 plus the last 50 kg of bag give the least yield increase per kg of n
the crop with lower n rate will produce yield before it adds protein to the grain
9 % to 10% protein grain removes less than 200 kg of n in a 10 tonne crop average yield last year was under 8 tonnes per ha
 

glasshouse

Member
Location
lothians
When I mintilled a 4 year clover ley in 2007 the yield in 2008 was 12 tonne plus per ha from normal rates
the clover opens the soil up but also gives some early n and slow release n
if I had only used 150 kg the yield would have been 11 plus the last 50 kg of bag give the least yield increase per kg of n
the crop with lower n rate will produce yield before it adds protein to the grain
9 % to 10% protein grain removes less than 200 kg of n in a 10 tonne crop average yield last year was under 8 tonnes per ha
There is and has been increasing talk about using N fixing crops/cover crops to reduce our reliance on bagged N. Forgetting other benefits, how much N is actually available to the following crop? and does this cover the cost of the CC seed and establishment? which with machinery and fuel costs where they are is not insignificant.
There is no point pi$$ing in the wind, spending a £ to save 90p on bought in fert.
Orgsnic sp wheat csn do 3t acre after 2 yr grass
 
Conversely Barley leaves absolutely nothing imo.

Not as simple as that.

In an all arable situation with no organic manures involved, I could imagine that you could reach a situation where there was virtually no nitrogen in the soil. In reality, with lots of organic matter breaking down and all in various stages of decomposition, there will be varying amounts of available nitrogen in your soil at virtually any time of year except maybe in a deep cold winter.
 

teslacoils

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lincolnshire
I've soil n tested after various crops and come spring in a normal year (clay, low rainfall east) it's rare to have over 50kg available in the soil. The exception if after grass that would get muck between cuts in spring.
 
I was about to put up a question on this but then saw this thread. I am allowed to put a cover crop in from mid May with my stewardship fallow. Could easily put a range of flowering N fixing species that could be left until late September and then no-till into them. Was also wondering how much I might be able to reduce my liquid fert spend. Which species would people choose for this sort of time period? As said above, no point spending lots of effort with fuel the way it is to gain very little.
 

teslacoils

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lincolnshire
I was about to put up a question on this but then saw this thread. I am allowed to put a cover crop in from mid May with my stewardship fallow. Could easily put a range of flowering N fixing species that could be left until late September and then no-till into them. Was also wondering how much I might be able to reduce my liquid fert spend. Which species would people choose for this sort of time period? As said above, no point spending lots of effort with fuel the way it is to gain very little.
Are you broadcasting it, or no till drilling it?
 

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