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The Effect of Sweet Clover Green Manure on Crop Yields on the Heavy Soils in Michigan
Author(s) -
Davis J. F.
Publication year - 1943
Publication title -
soil science society of america journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.836
H-Index - 168
eISSN - 1435-0661
pISSN - 0361-5995
DOI - 10.2136/sssaj1943.036159950007000c0046x
Subject(s) - crop , green manure , agriculture , cover crop , agricultural experiment station , citation , manure , yield (engineering) , agricultural science , library science , mathematics , environmental science , agronomy , geography , agroforestry , computer science , forestry , archaeology , materials science , metallurgy , biology
.' I "HE value of green manure in improving crop -Iyields has been generally recognized. Under Michigan conditions sweet clover has proved to be a crop especially adapted to the heavy soils of the state. The heavy soils, for the most part, are relatively high in organic matter, ranging from 2.5% to 10.0%. These soils, as a rule, will support both a small grain crop and an inter-seeding of sweet clover, thus eliminating the necessity of the loss in crop production that occurs in establishing a stand of sweet clover on a soil not capable of supporting both crops simultaneously. The reaction and calcium content of these soils are usually high enough to be favorable for sweet clover without an application of lime. The data herein reported refer specifically to the effect of sweet clover seeded with a small grain crop, allowed to grow during that season, and plowed down the following spring for a cultivated crop. These cultivated crops were corn, white beans, and sugar beets. In addition, data are included on the effect of sweet clover in a rotation on a wheat crop following a crop of beans and a mixed crop of oats and barley following a crop of sugar beets. The change occurring in the total amount of dry matter, the dry weights of roots and tops, and the amount of nitrogen that is contained in a crop of sweet clover during the early spring growth is reported.