Effect of Clover Sward Management on Nitrogen Fixation and Performance of Following Spring- and Winter Wheat Crops; Results of a 3-Year Pilot Study

Andrew Wilkinson; John N. Wilkinson; Peter Shotton; Mick Eyre; Gultakin Hasanaliyeva; Paul Bilsborrow; Carlo Leifert; Leonidas Rempelos

doi:10.3390/agronomy12092085

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Effect of Clover Sward Management on Nitrogen Fixation and Performance of Following Spring- and Winter Wheat Crops; Results of a 3-Year Pilot Study

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Effect of Clover Sward Management on Nitrogen Fixation and Performance of Following Spring- and Winter Wheat Crops; Results of a 3-Year Pilot Study

Andrew Wilkinson, John N. Wilkinson, Peter Shotton, Mick Eyre, Gultakin Hasanaliyeva, Paul Bilsborrow, Carlo Leifert and Leonidas Rempelos

Agronomy (Basel), Vol.12(9), pp.1-18

01/09/2022

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12092085

Appears in Recent Faculty of Science and Engineering Publications

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Abstract

Agriculture

Agronomy

Life Sciences & Biomedicine

Plant Sciences

Science & Technology

organic wheat

Rhizobium inoculum

clover management

greenwaste compost

N-fixation

grain yield

bread-making quality

tocopherol

tocotrienol

Wheat yields in organic production are significantly lower than those achieved in conventional farming systems and in Northern Europe organic farmers also struggle to achieve the processing quality levels demanded by millers and bakers, especially in winter-wheat crops. Here, we report the findings of a 3-year pilot study which investigated the potential of increasing grain yields and both standard processing (e.g., grain protein levels and specific weights) and selected nutritional (tocopherol and tocotrienol isomers) quality parameters via (i) changes in the management of clover crops grown before wheat (Rhizobium seed inoculation, application of greenwaste compost to clover swards) and (ii) use of new varieties developed in both the UK and continental Europe. Results indicate that the use of compost amendment to preceding clover swards significantly increased the grain protein levels in the three winter-wheat, but not the four spring-wheat varieties, and also significantly increases grain yields in one winter-wheat variety (Greina). In contrast, the use of Rhizobium-inoculation was found to significantly reduce protein concentrations in the winter-, but not spring wheat varieties, and had no significant effect on grain yields in both winter and spring wheat. However, analysis of variance detected significant interactions between Rhizobium seed inocula in clover pre-crops and (a) compost application for grain specific weights in winter-wheat and grain hardness in spring wheat crops and (b) variety for grain protein content in spring wheat crops. No significant effect of clover pre-crop management on tocopherol and tocotrienol isomer profiles could be detected, although significant differences between varieties were detected in both winter and spring wheat. Results of this pilot study need to be confirmed in future trials, but indicate that both (a) changes in clover-management practices and (b) the selections of wheat varieties that are more suitable for organic farming systems has the potential to increase grain yield and allow organic farmers to more frequently achieve baking or milling grade quality.

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Title: Effect of Clover Sward Management on Nitrogen Fixation and Performance of Following Spring- and Winter Wheat Crops; Results of a 3-Year Pilot Study
Creators: Andrew Wilkinson - Gilchester Organics, Stamfordham NE18 0QL, UK
John N. Wilkinson - Gilchester Organ, Stamfordham NE18 0QL, England
Peter Shotton - Newcastle Univ, Nafferton Ecol Farming Grp, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 7RU, Tyne & Wear, England
Mick Eyre - Newcastle University
Gultakin Hasanaliyeva - Newcastle Univ, Nafferton Ecol Farming Grp, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 7RU, Tyne & Wear, England
Paul Bilsborrow - Newcastle University
Carlo Leifert - University of Newcastle
Leonidas Rempelos - University of Newcastle
Publication Details: Agronomy (Basel), Vol.12(9), pp.1-18
Publisher: Mdpi
Number of pages: 18
Grant note: 506358 / European Union; European Commission Gilchester Organics Ltd.
Identifiers: 991013062313202368
Copyright: © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Academic Unit: Faculty of Science and Engineering
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article

Effect of Clover Sward Management on Nitrogen Fixation and Performance of Following Spring- and Winter Wheat Crops; Results of a 3-Year Pilot Study

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