Changes in soil mineral nitrogen during and after 3-year and 5-year set-aside and nitrate leaching losses after ploughing out the 5-year plant covers in the UK

The management and effects of 3-year and 5-year set-aside covers on soil mineral nitrogen (SMN, 0.0–0.9 m) were studied at six sites in England. Soil mineral N was measured annually in autumn and spring during the period of set-aside cover, with more frequent SMN sampling over the first winter after ploughing out the covers. Spring SMN was measured in the second year after set-aside. Nitrate leaching losses were also measured at three sites in the first winter after destruction of the 5-year set-aside covers. Winter cereals were grown in both test years after each set-aside period.Amounts of both autumn and spring SMN in the perennial rye-grass (PRG), perennial rye-grass/white clover (PRG/WC) and natural regeneration (NR) covers were generally less than, or similar to those in the continuous arable treatment during each year of set-aside, indicating a slightly smaller nitrate leaching risk under set-aside management. Slight increases in autumn SMN, and hence leaching potential were, however, observed under PRG/WC in the fourth and fifth years, compared with continuous arable cropping.Ploughing out of both 3-year and 5-year covers increased soil N supply and potential nitrate leaching losses over winter, compared with continuous arable cropping. By the following spring, mean increases across all sites in amounts of SMN after 3-year covers of PRG, NR and PRG/WC were 14, 18 and 33 kg ha^–1 N, respectively, compared with the arable rotation. Equivalent increases in spring SMN following destruction of the 5-year set-aside covers were almost identical, at 17, 19 and 33 kg ha^–1, respectively, although only the ploughed-out PRG/WC covers increased SMN at the clay sites. Measured nitrate leaching losses in the first winter after 5-year set-aside were greatest after PRG/WC at two sites on shallow chalk but greatest after NR, which had a naturally large clover content, at the third site which was on a sandy soil. However, the leaching losses after set-aside were relatively small, relative to typical losses after ploughing out intensively managed grass or grass/clover swards, and would have been compensated for by potentially less leaching during set-aside.Spring SMN measurements in the second year after ploughing out the set-aside covers, showed negligible or, for PRG/WC, only slight increases (12 – 18 kg ha^–1) in residual soil N supply after both 3-year and 5-year covers, compared to continuous arable cropping. The extra N mineralisation after cover destruction justified small reductions in fertiliser N inputs for the first, but not second crop following either 3- or 5-year set-aside, unless the cover had contained a large clover content. Both 3-year and 5-year set-aside covers had minimal or no effect on either organic matter content, apart from a slight increase in the PRG/WC treatments, or extractable phosphorus, potassium and magnesium status in the topsoil.