The objectives of this study were to assess the effect of cover crops grown as green manure on the dynamics of mineral nitrogen in the soil under organic vineyard. Field investigations were carried out on the experimental field of the Faculty of Agriculture in Novi Sad, which is located in Sremski Karlovci, Serbia. Winter cover crops were sowed in autumn 2009 and samples of soil, where mineral forms of nitrogen were present, were taken twice during the growing season in 2010 (spring and summer). Winter forage pea (Pisum sativum L.) and oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) , used as cover crops in an organic vineyard, showed the influence on the increase of mineral nitrogen in the soil. Oilseed rape, used as a cover crop, is suitable for storing reserves of soil mineral nitrogen in winter and spring, when there is minimal need for nitrogen in the vineyard. Thus, nitrogen losses can be prevented. Apart from uptaking nitrogen from the soil, forage peas also fixate considerable amount of nitrogen from the air and additionally enriches soil with nitrogen. Cover crops use in viticulture is suitable since their vegetation partly overlaps with vineyards vegetation, thus it does not represent a problem for vine plants in the aspect of uptaking nitrogen from the soil

forage pea, oilseed rape, nitrogen, organic vineyard

Presentation: oral