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Rotating alfalfa with dry bean as an alternative to corn-soybean rotations in organic systems in the Upper Midwest

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 June 2017

Nicole Tautges ,
Claire Flavin ,
Thomas Michaels ,
Nancy Ehlke ,
John Lamb ,
Jacob Jungers  and
Craig Sheaffer
Nicole Tautges*
Affiliation:
Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics, University of Minnesota, 1991 Upper Buford Circle, St Paul, Minnesota 55108, USA
Claire Flavin
Affiliation:
Department of Horticulture, University of Minnesota, 1970 Folwell Ave St Paul, Minnesota 55108, USA
Thomas Michaels
Affiliation:
Department of Horticulture, University of Minnesota, 1970 Folwell Ave St Paul, Minnesota 55108, USA
Nancy Ehlke
Affiliation:
Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics, University of Minnesota, 1991 Upper Buford Circle, St Paul, Minnesota 55108, USA
John Lamb
Affiliation:
Department of Soil, Water, and Climate, University of Minnesota, 1991 Upper Buford Circle, St Paul, Minnesota 55108, USA
Jacob Jungers
Affiliation:
Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics, University of Minnesota, 1991 Upper Buford Circle, St Paul, Minnesota 55108, USA
Craig Sheaffer
Affiliation:
Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics, University of Minnesota, 1991 Upper Buford Circle, St Paul, Minnesota 55108, USA
*
*Corresponding author: ntautges@umn.edu
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Abstract

Dry bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) can be grown as a local food source and as an alternative to soybean (Glycine max) to diversify organic crop rotations. To understand the benefits of diversification of organic cropping systems, the effects of preceding alfalfa (Medicago sativa) and corn (Zea mays) crops on yields of five dry bean types and one soybean type, and the effect of bean type on following spring wheat (Triticum aestivum) yields, were tested at four Minnesota locations. Dry bean and soybean yields following alfalfa were 25% greater than yields following corn at two of four locations, though bean yields following corn were greater at one location. A preceding alfalfa crop benefited bean yields at locations where hog manure or no manure was applied to corn, whereas bean yields following corn fertilized with cow manure were similar to or greater than bean yields following alfalfa. Among dry bean types, black bean yielded similarly to soybean at three of four locations, but dark red kidney bean consistently yielded 25–65% lower than soybean. Navy, pinto and heirloom dry bean types yielded similarly to soybean at two of four locations. Across locations, weed biomass was 3–15 times greater in dry bean than in soybean and dry bean yield response to weed competition varied among bean types. However, dry bean, regardless of the preceding crop, demonstrated the potential to produce yields comparable with soybean in organic systems and the substitution of dry bean for soybean did not affect subsequent wheat yields. More studies are needed to identify nitrogen fertility dynamics in organic systems as they relate to dry bean yield.

Keywords

alfalfacrop rotationdry beannitrateorganicweeds
Type
Research Paper
Information
Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems , Volume 34 , Issue 1 , February 2019 , pp. 41 - 49
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2017 

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