The role of winter cover crops on soil organic matter and microbial population

یارمحمدی, معرفت and عبادی, علی and جهانبخش, سدابه and احمدنیا, فاطمه The role of winter cover crops on soil organic matter and microbial population. In: 2nd International and 6th National Iranian Congress on Organic vs. Conventional Agriculture, August 2019, Ardabil, Iran.

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Abstract

In order to study the role of winter cover crops on soil organic matter and microbial population, an experiment was conducted in the research farm of Mohaghegh Ardabili University in 2018. Experimental treatments included cultivation of winter barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and chickling pea (Lathyrus sativus L.) cover crops as mono, mixed and control treatments without cover crops. The amount of seeds used for barley and chickling pea were 150 and 200 kgha-1. Cover crops were sown in 3×9 m-2 plots. Results showed that dry biomass of cover crops, percentage of organic matter and soil microbial population were affected (α ≤ 1%). The highest (518 g.m-2) and the lowest (349 and 359 g.m-2) dry biomass of cover crops were obtained from barley and chickling pea intercropping and chickling pea monoculture and their intercropping. The highest percentage of soil organic matter (1.23% and 1.21%) was obtained from barley + chickling pea monoculture. Mono and intercropping of barley and chickling pea had no significant difference in increasing soil microbial population. In general, winter cover crops as a mixture of cereals and legumes is effective in improving soil conditions.

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