Ridge cultivation in the Rhineland.

摘要

Field experiments conducted in 2003 at Klein Altendorf, Rhineland, Germany are presented. The sugar beets were grown on a very good, silty loam soil (90 out of 100 German soil points equivalent to UK grade 1 land) with 600 mm rainfall and 9.0 degrees C average temperature. Ridge cultivation was compared to current practice both after ploughing and after mulching in a cover crop. Results showed slimmer, longer and smoother beets with less dirt content. Adjusted sugar yields were similar or slightly higher following the cover crop. It is concluded that further experiments are needed to determine if ridge cultivation is also economically viable under Rhineland conditions..