Organic Fertilization of Lucerne and the Following Oat Crop in Non-Irrigated Conditions

Abstract

Conventional agriculture created ecological and sociological problems worldwide. Practicing organic agriculture need profitable crop such as lucerne, no tillage to destroy the soil structure, usage of natural symbiotic N2 fixation to support nutrition and reduce damages from climatic changes such as droughts and also to supply animals for food. The efficiency of manure fertilization for the production of forage, seeds and root mass after four years of lucerne cultivation was examined in the field experiment,in addition their effect on the following crop such as oat. The trial was performed in the Institute of Forage Crops, Pleven, Bulgaria on leached chernozem soil subtype without irrigation. The well matured cattle manure in the following doses was used: dose 1 - 20.7 t.ha-1 corresponding to 70 kg N. ha-1 (active substance); dose 2 - 41.5 t. ha-1 corresponding to 140 kg N. ha-1 and dose 3 - 62.1 t.ha-1 corresponding to 210 kg N ha-1. It was found that, the highest organic fertilizer use efficiency (153.16) was found in lucerne for forage at a dose of 20.7 t. ha-1. The largest differences in fertilization efficiency depending on the dose were reported in lucerne for forage (1.9 and 2.8 times). The highest efficiency of manure fertilization for root mass accumulation was reported at a dose of 20.7 t. ha-1. The results showed that lower doses of manure can contribute to obtain a high yield of forage, straw, roots and seeds from lucerne. This has a positive effect on grain and straw and also to the following crop such as oat. Organic farming clearly indicated the advantages for both yields and environmentally friendly agriculture and reduction of environmental stresses.

Keywords

• Manure
• Organic fertilization
• Efficiency coefficients
• Lucerne
• Drought
• Environmental stress