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Status of Essential Elements in Soil and Grain of Organically Produced Maize, Spelt, and Soybean

Author

Listed:
  • Vesna Dragicevic

    (Maize Research Institute “Zemun Polje”, 11185 Zemun Polje, Serbia)

  • Milovan Stoiljkovic

    (Vinča Institute of Nuclear Sciences, 11001 Belgrade, Serbia)

  • Milan Brankov

    (Maize Research Institute “Zemun Polje”, 11185 Zemun Polje, Serbia)

  • Miodrag Tolimir

    (Maize Research Institute “Zemun Polje”, 11185 Zemun Polje, Serbia)

  • Marijenka Tabaković

    (Maize Research Institute “Zemun Polje”, 11185 Zemun Polje, Serbia)

  • Margarita S. Dodevska

    (Centre for Hygiene and Human Ecology, Institute of Public Health of Serbia “Dr Milan Jovanović Batut”, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia)

  • Milena Simić

    (Maize Research Institute “Zemun Polje”, 11185 Zemun Polje, Serbia)

Abstract

Organic agriculture offers many benefits through the increased nutritional quality of produced crops, agro-ecosystem preservation, and climate change mitigation. The development of an efficient nutrient management strategy in low-input systems, such as organic agriculture, which supports soil fertility and essential nutrients absorption by crops, is continually exploring. Thus, a study with maize–spelt–soybean rotation during a 5-year period in organic production was established to evaluate the variability in soil organic matter (SOM) and the status of available elements: N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Cu, Mn, Zn, and Si from the soil, as well as grain yield (GY) and the content of protein, P, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Cu, Mn, Zn, and Si concentration in the grain of spelt, maize, and soybean. Significant variations in mineral elements in the soil, GY, and grain composition were detected. Spelt achieved the highest average GY, while soybean grain was the richest in a majority of examined nutrients. The soil Ca content was important for GY, while the protein level in grain was generally tied to the Mn level in the soil. It was recognized that soil–crop crosstalk is an important strategy for macro- and micro-nutrients management in the soil and grain of organically produced spelt, maize, and soybean. While a reduction in the GY and protein concentration in grain was present over time, it was established that a low-input system under dry-farming conditions supports nutrient availability and accumulation in grain, under semi-arid agro-ecological conditions of central Serbia.

Suggested Citation

  • Vesna Dragicevic & Milovan Stoiljkovic & Milan Brankov & Miodrag Tolimir & Marijenka Tabaković & Margarita S. Dodevska & Milena Simić, 2022. "Status of Essential Elements in Soil and Grain of Organically Produced Maize, Spelt, and Soybean," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(5), pages 1-18, May.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jagris:v:12:y:2022:i:5:p:702-:d:816926
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Kopke, Ulrich & Athmann, Miriam & Han, Eusun & Kautz, Timo, 2015. "Optimising Cropping Techniques for Nutrient and Environmental Management in Organic Agriculture," Sustainable Agriculture Research, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 4(3 Special).
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    Cited by:

    1. Maria Wanic & Magdalena Jastrzębska & Marta K. Kostrzewska & Mariola Parzonka, 2024. "Spelt in Diversified and Spelt-Based Crop Rotations: Grain Yield and Technological and Nutritional Quality," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-18, July.

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