Catch crops
The cultivation technique of intercropping s is applied, in order to use an area between the growing seasons of two main crop or to spare.
General objectives of cover crop cultivation
- Feed use
- Soil protection (erosion protection)
- Water protection (nutrient conservation)
- Suppression of weeds (competition for light, water and nutrients)
- Reduction of the disease pressure (promotion of opponents of certain pathogens, reduction of nematode infestation)
- Promotion of soil fertility (humus formation, green manure ), soil tare and soil stability
Types of cover crop cultivation
A distinction is made between two types of cover crop cultivation:
- Winter catch crops and
- Summer catch crop cultivation
Winter catch crop cultivation
The Winter catch crops is the safest form of catch crop cultivation , it often takes as stubble after the harvest of the main crop, followed not by applicable tillage ; however, the sowing can also be carried out after turning the soil by using the plow. The prerequisite for the emergence of the catch crop and thus for the entire cultivation is that there is still sufficient soil moisture after the harvest of the main crop. Winter catch crop cultivation offers soil protection in winter and provides the first basic forage in spring . After an early harvest, maize or root crops can often be grown on the same area; Only in years with little rainfall can the expected yield of the following crop decrease due to the partial use of winter moisture by the catch crop. Previous crops should clear the main crops early, such as B. barley, the subsequent crops must be late-sowing, z. B. Silage corn.
The demands on soil and climate are increasing roughly in the following series: Wick rye → Green rye → Turnip rape → Rape → Landsberg mix → ryegrass → red clover-ryegrass mix. The species mentioned are typical winter catch crops.
The cheapest way of using winter catch crops is fresh feeding. The problem is that most winter catch crops only have a low level of elasticity in use, i.e. H. the quality of the forage drops sharply four to seven days after it has reached the most favorable stage of use.
Rape is the first to be ready for use in the second to third decade of April, followed by rapeseed, rye, wick rye, Landsberg mix, ryegrass and grass clover. Landsberger Mixture is ready for use around three weeks after the turnip rape.
Summer catch crop cultivation
Summer catch crops are grown to use for fodder in autumn or as soil or water protection (erosion protection, nutrient binding) and green manure.
They are depending on the time of sowing in Untersaatverfahren (sowing in the previous crop) or in Stoppelsaatverfahren grown.
Undersown fruits are: clovers, grasses, grass clover, serradella and in rare cases forage carrots.
Stubble crops are for early-clearing cereals (barley, rye) and after potatoes or winter rape. The sowing takes place in July / August with a use in late autumn. Stubble seeds are: white mustard, summer rape, oil radish, stubble beet, phacelia, lupins, millet and legumes.
Summer catch crops thrive in locations with early harvest and non-dry summers. The feed obtained is mostly fed fresh and not preserved.
See also
literature
- W. Opitz v. Boberfeld: Grassland theory - biological and ecological basics. Ulmer, Stuttgart, 1994, ISBN 3-8252-1770-1
- G. Voigtländer, H. Jacob: Grassland farming and forage production. Ulmer, Stuttgart, 1987
- J. Nösberger, W. Opitz v. Boberfeld: Forage production. Blackwell Sciences, Bln, 1986