Practice Abstract 24 - Cover crops in vining peas (2)

Short title (native language): 
Cover crops in vining peas (2)

Short summary for practitioners (native language): 
Use of cover crops has repeatedly demonstrated that they can have significant effects on soil structure and moisture retention, compaction, nutrient fluxes and crop development. Cover crops reduce foot rot development and consequently improved yield in vining peas (2018, sandy loam). Foot rot severity (measured on a scale of 0-5) was significantly lower in the Vetch and Oat + Clover treatments compared to stubble.
Overall, the use of cover crops significantly increased yields for all treatments. Oat + Clover cover crop showed the biggest benefit in this trial with a strong decrease in foot rot development and a corresponding yield increase of 1.5 t/ha.
Maintaining vegetation over winter minimises nitrate leaching. This has been demonstrated recently
in separate projects investigating cover crops by Anglian Water/ADAS and PGRO.
Anglian Water are confident that cover crops can be used to improve water quality whilst PGRO are demonstrating their ability to alleviate foot rot and poor soil environments in the context of pulses. Cover crops present an opportunity to reduce nitrate pollution, cut expensive N inputs and simultaneously improve/regenerate our soil. A fuller report can be found in the Summer edition of PGRO’s The Pulse Magazine 2019, page 8 . http://www.graphicgeneweb.co.uk/flip/mobile/