Browsing by Subject "Horticulture"

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Carry‐over effect of leguminous winter cover crops and living mulches on winter wheat as a second main crop following white cabbage
(2024) Stein, Sophie; Zikeli, Sabine; Möller, Kurt
Background: The direct effect of winter cover crops (WCCs) or living mulches (LMs) on a first vegetable crop has already been investigated. However, little is known about the effect on growth and yield of a second cash crop in the rotation. Aims: The aim of the study was to assess the carry‐over effect of legumes grown as WCC or LM on winter wheat as a second crop after cabbage, measured in yield and nitrogen release. Methods: Two field trials were carried out in Germany between 2019 and 2022. In the WCC trial, rye, rye with vetch, vetch, pea, and faba bean were used as WCC and compared to bare soil. The WCC biomass was incorporated before cabbage planting in late spring. For the LM trial, perennial ryegrass or white clover was used as LM during cabbage cultivation and compared to bare soil. The LM biomass was incorporated with the cabbage residues and compared to an early incorporation of LM biomass before cabbage planting. In both trials, winter wheat was sown in the fall as the second following main crop in the rotation. Results: Leguminous WCC species had significant higher wheat yield compared to non‐legumes but not compared to the control without WCC. Late incorporation of LM biomass resulted in increased wheat yield at 10.1–10.4 Mg ha −1 compared to an early incorporation before cabbage planting at 9.35 Mg ha −1 . Net N releases show that for WCC, the main effect of legume nitrogen fixation is achieved in the first crop cabbage immediately after incorporation of WCC biomass. In the case of leguminous LM, the effects of legume nitrogen fixation are of much higher relevance in the second main crop, winter wheat, due to LM biomass incorporation after cabbage cultivation. Conclusion: Therefore, we suggest to consider not only the direct but also the carry‐over effects of leguminous cover cropping in vegetable crop rotations.
The effects of leguminous living mulch intercropping and its growth management on organic cabbage yield and biological nitrogen fixation
(2022) Stein, Sophie; Hartung, Jens; Möller, Kurt; Zikeli, Sabine
In organic horticulture, living mulches (LM) are used for weed suppression and erosion prevention. In addition, leguminous LM can contribute to higher nitrogen (N) import into vegetable cultivation systems via biological N2 fixation (BNF). In order to investigate the effect of LM systems, a two- as well as three-year field experiment was conducted between 2019 and 2021 at two locations in Southwest Germany. White cabbage was intercropped with two different clover varieties (Trifolium repens cv. ‘Rivendel’, with regular growth and T. repens cv. ‘Pipolina’, a micro clover) and perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne cv. ‘Premium’). Bare soil (with spontaneous vegetation) without intercropping was the control treatment. The second factor was the growth management of the LM: incorporation by rototilling before planting the cabbage, intercropping with the cabbage and no LM growth management, and intercropping with mulching of the LM during the cabbage growing. The results show that rototilling LM before planting the cabbage did not lead to higher weight of cabbage residues or differences in total head yield among the treatments for growth management. Intercropping without further LM growth management did not result in a reduced total head yield of cabbage compared to mulching. The micro clover ‘Pipolina’ showed no reduced competition with cabbage compared to the regular-growing white clover ‘Rivendel’. Therefore, we conclude that leguminous LM systems, regardless of growth management, can achieve high yields with sufficient irrigation and additional fertilization while increasing the inputs of N via BNF into the entire cropping system.
“Smart support for fruit farm business decision-making: A framework for digital controlling adoption”
(2025) Müller, Luis; Luer, Robert; Lentz, Wolfgang
Decision-makers in horticultural enterprises face significant challenges, including structural changes toward fewer and larger enterprises, increasing weather extremes, skilled labor shortages, and increasing sustainability demands. Addressing these challenges requires the use of effective business management instruments. However, initial research suggests that controlling is practiced infrequently and with limited intensity in the sector. This study investigates barriers to and drivers of the adoption of controlling, focusing on the role of digital transformation in enhancing its use. Nineteen semi-structured interviews and farm inspections were conducted with 28 current and prospective farm managers in the fruit-growing sector in Germany and Luxembourg. Results show that decision-making is primarily driven by experience and intuition. Lack of experience with controlling hinders the visibility of its benefits, thus preventing the acquisition of controlling expertise. In the absence of such expertise, controlling methods cannot be effectively implemented, rendering the benefits elusive. Additionally, the limited availability of processed data restricts meaningful business analyses. Farm management and information systems (FMISs) provide minimal controlling functionalities. Reporting obligations relating to crop protection are the primary drivers for FMIS adoption. Therefore, reporting obligations in external accounting and data requirements for funding and loan procurement serve as entry points for controlling-focused software solutions. Information and controlling systems thus hold potential to enhance routine decision-making, rendering the benefits of controlling more tangible. This study contributes a conceptual framework to broaden the understanding of the often negatively perceived cost-benefit ratio of controlling in small and medium-sized enterprises and identifies strategies to strengthen its practical relevance.