Development of concepts for expanding the use of no-tillage farming in organic agriculture

Intensive tillage by means of mouldboard ploughing can be highly effective for weed control in organic farming, but it also carries an elevated risk for rapid humus decomposition and soil erosion. Conservation tillage techniques offer considerably reduced soil erosion and improved soil structure but they are rarely used in organic farming systems due to the increased weed pressure. To develop organic systems that are less dependent on tillage this study evaluated the non-legume cover crops spring rye (Secale cereale L.), black oat (Avena sativa L.), sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.), white mustard (Sinapis alba L.), buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) and hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) for their ability to suppress weed growth, reduce plant available nitrogen in the soil and produce large amounts of biomass with slow N mineralisation, without and with the incorporation of organic fertiliser (horn grist, 50 kg N ha-1) before seeding. Resulting from these preliminary trials the spring rye was chosen as cover crop before no-till, reduced tillage and plough tillage cropping of legume cash crops monocropped and intercropped with cereal grains. The legume cash crops winter and spring faba bean (Vicia faba L.), field pea (Pisum sativum L.) and spring narrow-leafed lupin (Lupinus angustifolius L.), monocropped and i

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