Leek cultivation using cover crops in no-till systems

This EU- and Normandy-funded trial evaluated no-till leek cultivation using three cover crop mixtures (M1, M2, M3) on limono-sandy soil to suppress weeds and improve soil cover. Conducted at SILEBAN’s “légumes” unit, it compared rolling and mowing for cover crop destruction across nine plots. M2 (oat, vetch, mustard, clover) showed the best weed suppression (0.03% biomass), while M1 and M3 had 0.32% and 1.07%. Leeks (variety ‘Oslo’) were planted in June 2022 with no fertilisation, facing challenges due to compacted soil and lack of suitable tools, resulting in manual planting in three plots. Despite poor yields (20 t/ha) and only 12% meeting market standards, leeks recovered well after 15 days. Mowed covers outperformed rolled ones in leek compatibility. Future trials should use the Mulchtec-Planter for efficient furrowing and planting. High nitrogen levels and soil organic matter increases were observed, especially in M1 and M3. The study confirms the viability of cover crop-based no-till systems for leek production.