THE IMPORTANCE OF LEGUMINOUS CROPS IN GREEN MANURE SYSTEMS

4th International Symposium On Biotechnology (2026),  [pp. 177-189]
 
AUTHOR(S) / АУТОР(И):  Vladeta Stevović , Dalibor Tomić , Dragan Đurović , Igor Đurđić , Milomirka Madić , Nenad Pavlović  

 

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.46793/SBT26.177S

ABSTRACT / САЖЕТАК:

The aim of this study was to analyze the importance of forage legumes in the development of sustainable agricultural systems and in reducing agroecosystem degradation through the application of green manuring. Owing to a range of beneficial traits, forage legumes have, to some extent, surpassed their primary purpose within agricultural production systems. Among other uses, forage legumes can be cultivated for green manuring due to their positive effect on increasing the content of plant-available nitrogen in the soil following biomass incorporation. Such cultivation and utilization systems are gaining increasing relevance as an alternative to synthetic nitrogen use in conventional farming or as an indispensable component of sustainable and organic production systems. The economic efficiency of legume-based green manuring largely depends on the applied cropping system, i.e., whether legumes are grown as the main crop, intercrop, undersown crop, or as a component of mixtures with other plant species. The most significant potential benefit of such systems lies in the reduction of synthetic nitrogen fertilizer use, as well as in numerous indirect effects on soil fertility.

KEYWORDS / КЉУЧНЕ РЕЧИ:

cover crops, green manure, legumes, soil fertility

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT / ПРОЈЕКАТ:

The research presented in this article is part of Project Ref. No. 451-03-33/2026-03/200088 was funded by the Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation, Republic of Serbia.

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