Two field experiments in Canterbury, New Zealand, were conducted during 1993–95 following the ploughing of temporary pasture leys. These experiments investigated the effects of cover crop management on the accumulation of soil mineral N and nitrate leaching during winter, and the growth and N uptake of the following spring cereal crop. The cover crops used were ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum L.), oats (Avena sativa L.), lupins (Lupinus angustifolius L.), mustard (Sinapis alba L.) and winter wheat (Triticum aestivum).

Ploughing of temporary pasture in autumn (March) resulted in extensive net N mineralization of organic N by the start of winter (June). In fallow soil, mineral N in the profile in June ranged from 98 kg N/ha in 1993 to 128 kg N/ha in 1994. When cover crops were established early in the autumn (March) in 1993, both the above-ground dry matter production (1440–3108 kg DM/ha) and its N content (50–71 kg N/ha) were substantial by the start of winter. In 1994, establishment of cover crops one month later (April) resulted in very little dry matter production and N uptake by June. In both years, compared with fallow soil, winter wheat planted in May had little effect on soil mineral N content by the start of winter.

Compared with fallow, cover crops had little effect on soil drainage over winter. Cumulative nitrate leaching losses from fallow soil were much smaller in 1993 (23 kg N/ha) than in 1994 (49 kg N/ha), mainly due to differences in rainfall distribution. Cover crops reduced cumulative nitrate leaching losses in 1993 to 1–5 kg N/ha and in 1994 to 22–30 kg N/ha. When cover crops were grazed, soil mineral N contents were increased due to the return of ingested plant N to urine patch areas of soil. Elevated soil mineral N contents under grazing persisted throughout the winter. Grazing had little effect on cumulative nitrate leaching losses, mainly because of the small amount of drainage that occurred after grazing in either year.

Compared with fallow, incorporation of large amounts of non-leguminous above ground dry matter depressed the yield and N uptake of the following spring-sown cereal crop. Where cover crops were grazed, yields of the following cereal crops were similar to those for soil fallow over the winter.