High-protein forage legumes under contrasting management and climate conditions (202074)

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There is an increased focus on sustainable agricultural production with less input of industrially produced fertiliser and of imported protein thus making locally grown fodder more competitive. This has increased the interest for using more forage legumes to improve the protein content of the forage as well as to increase soil fertility via nitrogen (N2) fixation in Norwegian agriculture. At the same time development of farming systems has resulted in more frequent use of heavier tractors and machineries. Thus, tractor traffic may negatively affect yield of perennial crops due to reduction in legume N2 fixation, plant winter survival and nitrogen loss from plant-soil system. The most central research tasks in this project are to assess N2 fixation rate i n legume-grass swards under contrasting climate conditions, study the influence of soil compaction on N2 fixation and loss, to investigate at what point in time and to what degree these plants lose N during the winter and how to preserve this N. In additi on, evaluate lucerne performance under northern climate and examine a potential of self-seeding of red clover. The project uses an integrated approach, combining experiments under field and controlled climate conditions, the 15N isotope dilution method, g as sampling techniques, and advanced chemical analyses. To accomplish this, whole value chain will be included: support from commercial distributors and the regional agricultural authorities, participation from the main Norwegian institute and university for agricultural research, and the agricultural extension service. High-rating institute in England will also be involved. The project will contribute to the following research priorities of the FFL/JA (Matfondavtalen) announcement: organic farming, part icularly organic production where results are linked to integrated and conventional production. The project will thereby indirectly contribute to reach the national goal of 15% organic production by 2015.