Potential of oilseed radish (Raphanus sativus l. var. oleiformis Pers.) as a multi-service cover crop (MSCC)
Vinnytsia National Agrarian University, Faculty of Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant protection, Soniachna street, 3, UA21008 Vinnytsia, Ukraine
*Correspondence: yaroslavtsytsyura@ukr.net, yaroslav301974@gmail.com
Abstract:
The possibility of oilseed radish use as multi-service cover crop (MSCC) during the ten-year period for spring and summer sowing was investigated. A comprehensive approach to assessing the formation of aboveground and root biomass by biochemical analysis with a comprehensive assessment of the factors that determine the quality, manufacturability and agricultural value of the crop was methodically applied. The actual agricultural value from the point of view of the possible use of oilseed radish as a cover, intermediate, green manure, fodder crop and an additional source for biogas production was analyzed.
A multi-year data set based on 8 indicators of the formed plant mass, 17 basic indicators of biochemical composition, and 12 derived indicators of ratios and accumulation was formed. Based on the criterion evaluation and comparison of the long-term data set with similar indicators for cruciferous species used as a multi-service cover crop, oilseed radish was classified as a crop with high adaptive bioorganic potential. This was confirmed by the application of the
Multi-criteria decision aiding (MCDA) method. The use of this method proved the possibility of multi-purpose use of oilseed radish as a multi-service cover crop on soils with medium fertility potential for unstable moisture conditions. The order of increasing importance of the direction of critical use of oilseed radish in the spring sowing period was: ‘Catch crop’ (Consistency index 0.188) – ‘Biogas’ (0.226) – ‘Fodder’ (0.370) – ‘Green manure’ (0.340) – ‘Cover crop’ (0.431). A similar order for the summer sowing period was: ‘Cover crop’ (0.244) – ‘Catch crop’ (0.305) – ‘Biogas’ (0.357) – ‘Fodder’ (0.407) – ‘Green manure’ (0.415).
Key words:
biogas, catch crop, criteria of multipurpose use, forage intermediate crops, green manure