Winter cover crop: the effects of grass-clover mixture proportion and biomass management on maize and the apparent residual N in the soil

Cover crop and cover crop biomass management affected the N content of the whole aboveground and of grain maize yields, and the differences between actual and critical N concentrations in the whole aboveground maize yield. The whole aboveground and grain maize dry matter yields, and the apparent remaining N in the soil after maize harvesting, showed significant interaction responses to cover crop × management, indicating positive and negative effects. Crimson clover in pure stand provided high, and pure Italian ryegrass provided low maize dry matter yields and N content in the yields in all the observed methods of biomass management. However, within individual management, mixtures containing high proportions of crimson clover sustained maize yields and N contents similar to those produced by pure crimson clover. Considering the expected ecological advantages of the mixtures, the results thereby support their use.