Ievina Sturite
Forsker
(+47) 934 99 484
Ievina.Sturite@nibio.no
Sted
Steinkjer
Besøksadresse
Ogndalsveien 2, 7713 Steinkjer
Sammendrag
Me fornyar enga for at avlinga skal verta større og ha betre kvalitet. Omlaupslengden er ein balanse mellom meir avling/kvalitet og kostnadar ved fornying.
Forfattere
Thiago Inagaki Frederik Bøe Ievina Sturite Meike S. Bärmann Franziska Bucka Alice Budai Anders Aas Daniel RasseSammendrag
In high-latitude arable systems (63.9°N), short growing seasons and cold climates often constrain regenerative practices. This study investigates how cover crop (CC) diversity influences the synergy among root development, carbon (C) persistence, and nutrient (N and P) dynamics within a barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)-oat (Avena sativa) rotation. Over three years, we evaluated a gradient of CC intercropping complexity using a randomized complete block design. Treatments were: (1) Control (barley/oat without NPK), (2) Biochar-Fertilizer (barley/oat + NPK + 1.8 Mg ha-1 year-1 biochar), (3) Monocrop (barley/oat), (4) Ryegrass (barley + ryegrass), (5) Clover (barley + ryegrass + white/red clover), and (6) Chicory (barley + ryegrass + red clover + chicory + bird’s-foot trefoil). We quantified root biomass, soil organic matter (SOM) fractions, specifically Mineral-Associated Organic Matter (MAOM) and Particulate Organic Matter (POM), aggregate stability, nutrient stocks, and microbial abundance via qPCR. The CCs sown shortly after barley were successfully established, with an average biomass of 1525 kg/ha, without compromising cereal yields, thereby confirming their viability in Nordic climates. A central finding was that root development served as the primary driver of organo-mineral associations. Ryegrass- and Clover-based systems produced significantly higher root biomass, which correlated strongly (p < 0.01) with MAOM stocks and total P acquisition. These systems stored 12 Mg/ha more MAOM-C and 1.1 Mg/ha more MAOM-N than the control at 0-20 cm depth. The inclusion of diverse functional traits in the complex five-species mixture significantly improved soil physical structure, yielding higher aggregate stability and lower bulk density. While CCs accumulated approximately 7 kg P/ha, the diverse mix optimized nutrient availability, whereas simpler mixtures showed higher C:P ratios, suggesting potential microbial P immobilization. Microbial abundance was consistently higher in multi-species treatments, indicating a more active biological environment. Ongoing analysis integrates cereal physiological data, focusing on the photosynthetic efficiency of oats in response to cultivation? regimes. Our findings bridge the gap between root morphology, plant physiology, and long-term SOM persistence, providing a strategic framework for using functional crop traits to enhance soil resilience and nutrient efficiency in cold-climate regions.
Sammendrag
The decline of soil organic carbon (SOC) content is a major concern in agricultural soils, and reduction of tillage frequency is proposed as a measure to counteract this tendency. Here, we assessed the effect of tillage and renewal frequency on grassland SOC content based on a long–term experiment at Fureneset, Western Norway. The objective was to compare permanent and unrenewed grassland treatments with treatments ploughed and renewed 6 to 15 times from 1974 to 2016. Mean SOC content of the permanent grassland was 64 ± 9 g kg−1 (one standard deviation) at 0 to 40 cm depth and soil contained 210 Mg C ha−1, compared to 60 ± 6 g kg−1 and 190 Mg C ha−1 for grassland renewed with ploughing. Higher SOC contents were associated with reduced forage dry matter yields (DMY) of the permanent grassland, but not in frequently renewed grasslands. High SOC contents correlate with high porosity and water content, as soil properties approach those of organic soils. This may cause a wetter soil and reduced plant growth and increase soil compaction. In areas with generally high SOC contents in agricultural soils, increased carbon content due to no tillage may thus make the soils more agronomically challenging to manage
Divisjon for matproduksjon og samfunn
Advancing adaption and adoption of new forages in Norway: An innovative farmer-led research approach via citizen science
Divisjon for matproduksjon og samfunn
INNOFORAGE: Raskere tilpasning og implementering av nye fôrvekster i Norge: En innovativ forskningsmetode ledet av bønder via folkeforskning
A stable supply of high-quality forage is essential for the economic output and sustainability of milk and meat production, the economically most important agricultural production in Norway. Further successful forage production in Norway depends on species, cultivars, and seed mixtures that can thrive across the diverse range of environments characteristic of the country. The environments vary greatly, both over latitudes from north to south, and altitude from coast to inland or mountainous areas. Climate change, with increasing temperatures and changing precipitation patterns, modifies the current production zone boundaries in unpredictable ways. Due to rapid changes and lack of on-farm performance data, there is a risk of recommending or developing new varieties that may perform sub-optimally in farmersʼ fields. To address this, we propose the Tricot method - a participatory large-scale and costeffective testing approach where farmers evaluate new seed mixtures in their own fields. This approach is based on principles developed in relation to crowd sourcing and citizen science where many farmers participate and carry out small simple experiments on their own fields. Each trial consists of an incomplete block with only three options out of the total options in the trial. The farmers rank the options according to predetermined criteria or questions by using a digital tool, an ODK app for mobiles. This data and other data related to management, climate and soil conditions is collected into the software ClimMob, which also performs the statistical analyses and feedback. When all data are aggregated, the approach can give solid statistical results on which of the tested seed mixtures were optimal in the different local conditions. This method will also strengthen the collaboration between researchers, advisors and farmers and contribute to a more sustainable and resilient agricultural practice.