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Legumes: Their potential role in agricultural production

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 October 2009

James F. Power
James F. Power
Affiliation:
Soil Scientist, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska 68583-0915.
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Abstract

The energy crisis of the late 1970's has raised the question of the wisdom of depending upon fertilizer nitrogen as the primary source of N input into crop production systems. While present and past price structures have favored fertilizer-N over biologically fixed N, there are a number of other benefits of legumes in a cropping system in addition to their effects on N availability. Among these are less potential for environmental degradation and improved soil physical conditions and water relations, but it is difficult to assign economic value to many such benefits. In addition to the economics of the present price structure, disadvantages of using legumes could include reduced total production and increased need for livestock in a farming enterprise (these could be considered assets from some aspects). Legumes are presently used in shortterm rotation, such as corn-soybean, or in continuous corn with a legume winter cover crop. These systems are finding widespread use and offer the producer many benefits, as well as helping to solve several major environmental problems associated with N use in agriculture.

Type
Articles
Information
American Journal of Alternative Agriculture , Volume 2 , Issue 2 , Spring 1987 , pp. 69 - 73
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1987

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