Influence of different cultivation systems on yield, quality and nitrate losses in field vegetable production
Abstract
Field vegetable production in the Eferdinger Becken (Upper Austria) shows a great variety of different vegetables for the fresh market and the processing industry. Multiple cropping systems with a high intensity of fertilisation and irrigation led to excessive nitrate levels in groundwater in the region. To secure the future of the horticultural production in the Eferdinger Becken strategies to limit nitrate losses to the groundwater are necessary. Nitrate levels in groundwater have to be below the threshold value of 45 mg NO3/litre. The KNS -recommendation system in integrated vegetable production provides the basic guideline to reduce nitrate losses. Additionally the reduction of the Nmin-target value by 30 % and the use of different winter cover crops were evaluated over a four year period. Valuable data for the marketable yield, selected quality parameters, the amount of sewage and its nitrate concentration could be gained.
keywords field vegetable cultivation systems nitrate losses yield quality
Publikationen
Project staff
Peter Liebhard
Ao.Univ.Prof.i.R. Dipl.-Ing. Dr.nat.techn. Peter Liebhard
peter.liebhard@boku.ac.at
Project Leader
01.02.1998 - 31.12.2001
BOKU partners
External partners
Österreichische Vereinigung für Agrarwissenschaftliche Forschung (ÖVAF)
Dipl.Ing. Dietrich
coordinator