The demand from society for sustainable and productive crop production, combined with increasingly extreme weather events, poses significant challenges for agricultural operations. Undersowing offers considerable potential as a climate adaptation measure. However, establishing them under organic conditions without herbicides requires further optimisation. Furthermore, the choice of undersowing based on its competitiveness against the main crop is unclear.
This project aims to determine the influence of different cover crop components and sowing times on crop development. The effects on the main crop, as well as on soil water availability and infiltration capacity, will also be assessed. Various cover crop mixtures will be sown at different times and on different soil types in the most important organic crops, maize and wheat. The following will be investigated: soil cover, dry matter yield, soil moisture content, water infiltration capacity, and the yield of the main crop. Additionally, soil moisture in maize will be measured at various depths using probes. In parallel, strip trials are being conducted on commercial farms to test the establishment of undersown crops in wheat cultivation under practical conditions. This trial data will provide valuable insights into the influence of undersown crops on the main crop and soil climate, enabling the derivation of practical cultivation recommendations.
Project Manager
