Catch crop

As undersown is called the seed a second crop in addition to an earlier harvest ripe main crop (also called cover crop ) or wood stocks for the purpose of green manuring or the production of animal feed. The sowing of catch crops can simultaneously with the main crop, or later in the main fruit components existing inside. Under seeds are used both in agriculture and in horticulture (eg in nurseries for the cultivation of vegetables and viticulture ).

Effects

By undersown, an active protection against erosion by land cover (closed plant cover ) in mainly due to a further row spacings not ground-covering woody plants (eg viticulture) or according to non-land nationwide in early stages of development the main crops (eg maize ), but also in close standing crops such as cereals, are achieved. At the same time by the binding of nutrients that can be poorly absorbed from the soil (eg nitrogen from nitrate), the groundwater is protected. Furthermore, soil rooting and covering effect by the undersown improve the soil structure due to higher amounts of fine roots and thus the sustainability of soils, maintain or improve soil fertility and repression and suppression of weeds. It can further be improved by the decay of the residues of undersown the humus of the soil. Also there may be beneficial effects on the local climate. These effects are also known from some mixed cultures.

That is done by the use of legumes a direct nitrogen supply to the accompanying main crop has not been established as the norm. Rather, it is likely to often to crop rotation effects previously grown plants ( previous crop ) act.

In the cultivation of fodder crops undersown is due to the earlier sowing time point, a development lead to stubble sown as catch crops. It also follows in this case a reduction in workload during the harvest season by the deleted work to sow the cover crop.

Material

The undersown must be untersaattauglich in terms of the competition with the cover crop, the cover crop may therefore not immune from these needed nutrients or soil moisture or they displace, but are not displaced by the cover crop. Some of the Untersaattauglichkeit therefore is also the breeding goal, eg Niederwüchsigkeit of grass pea for Untersaateinsatz in viticulture.

The selection of plants to be grown as undersown thus depends specifically on the existing site conditions, the main crop (see there for the individual species) and the classification in the crop rotation from. Also considers the degree to arise to protect the undersown restrictions on the use of plant protection products on the main crop, or whether the undersown can lead to difficulties in harvesting of the main crop. For cereals, for example, sub- crops of perennial ryegrasses or clover have been shown to be suitable, which do not lead with proper crop management to yield losses in grain.

Use

As far as the undersown is grown as green manure, it is usually crushed after harvest of the main crop and as incorporated into the soil. By using the undersown as a feed, this is harvested at the appropriate time according to volunteer after the harvest of the main crop.

Mixed culture

As far as plants or their fruit from different " floors " all are to be obtained specifically and equally as harvesting (bunk cultures ) see further under mixed cultures.

Swell

  • Bodo Frahm: BGJ agriculture. 4th edition, Ulm, Stuttgart 1980/1991, ISBN 3-8001-1049-0, p.156
  • Gerhardt Preuschen: agriculture teaching of environmental laws. 2nd edition, Foundation Ecology & Agriculture - CF Müller Verlag, Heidelberg 1991/1994, ISBN 3-7880-9873-2
  • Klaus -Ulrich Heyland (Editor): Special crop. 7th edition, Ulm, Stuttgart 1952/1996, ISBN 3-8001-1080-6, pp. 74 ff
  • Agricultural Science
  • Seed
Fertility (soil)
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