Biomass Yield and Nutrients Concentration in Shoot Dry Weight of Winter Cover Crops for No-Tillage System

The aim of this study was to identify the cutting time for winter cover crops used as green manure in no-tillage systems that results in the highest dry weight yield (DWY) and nutrient accumulation. We tested Avena strigosa, Secale cereale, Vicia sativa, Raphanus sativus, and Lupinus albus, in five management times, determining the fresh weight yield (FWY), DWY, and the chemical composition of the shoot tissue. The highest FWY was obtained using R. sativus and L. albus. At 145 days after sowing; these species also had the highest DWYs, over 15 t ha−1. L. albus and S. cereale had the highest carbon to nitrogen (C:N) ratio (60:1). The nutrient content of most crops decreased over time. However, the accumulation of nutrients increased over time, especially for R. sativus. L. albus had the highest level and manganese (Mn) accumulation, while the zinc (Zn) and cooper (Cu) accumulation was highest in A. strigosa, and that of boron (B) was highest in S. cereale. Thus, R. sativus provided the best soil cover among the species tested, due to its high biomass yield and greater nutrient cycling.