Lentil Crop Rotation and Green Manuring Effects on Soil Structural Stability and Corn Yield in Different Soils in Central Greece

Abstract

Grain legume production contributes widely to ecosystem services and have the potential to improve soil structure, increase soil organic carbon and reduce soil compaction. Growing more legumes in future requires changes to the cropping system, the sequence, and crop management. The objectives of this study were to examine the effects of lentil cover cropping managements on (i) soil structure and (ii) subsequent corn yield, in two different soil types. Experiments were carried out on a clayey and on a sandy soil, following a RCB design, for two years. Three legume managements were tested before growing corn (rotation, incorporation as green manure, no cover crop). For assessing soil structure stability the instability index, β was used. Corm productivity was determined by field samplings. Both lentil management, had significant effect on the instability index β. Stability of soil aggregates was enhanced during spring and reduced during autumn, regardless of the lentil pre-treatment, confirming the seasonal variation of soil structure stability. Legume rotation and green manure positively affected corn kernel yield in both soils. Results suggest that lentil rotation or green manuring has a positive effect on soil structure on both sandy and clay soils, leading to higher yields for subsequent corn crop.

Keywords

• corn
• lentil
• rotation
• soil stability