Menke, Christian AntoniusChristian AntoniusMenkeRauber, RolfRolfRauber2018-11-072018-11-072015https://resolver.sub.uni-goettingen.de/purl?gro-2/35311In the wake of the "greening" requirements that are part of the new legal framework of the European Commission, the cultivation of cover crops, including winter cover crops, will gain importance. An approach is submitted to evaluate winter cover crops. From the manifold economic and ecological services of winter cover crops, three parameters are selected and evaluated: (1) nitrogen conservation during the winter, (2) methane production, and (3) preceding crop effects on maize. The evaluation is carried out using simple sub-indices mathematically designed in such a way that they are greater the better the performance of the winter cover crop is. Finally, the three sub-indices are added together to obtain the "Index of relative cultivation advantage" (IrA). 33 winter cover crop variants were grown in two-year field trials and the sub-indices calculated. The most favorable IrA values attained mixed stands like the "Landsberger Gemenge" (hairy vetch + Italian ryegrass + crimson clover) and "Wickroggen" (rye + hairy vetch). Winter cereals performed comparatively poorly. Based on the IrA, the large-grained legumes, winter faba beans and winter peas, had the lowest cultivation potential. IrA can be used for a weak point analysis. Thus, for the winter faba beans, a novel cropping system was already presented which is able to compensate for this field crop's biggest disadvantage, namely its poor nitrogen uptake during the winter months. The sub-indices can be weighted and thus adapted to specific local conditions. Expansion options for IrA could be for example sub-indices for ensilability, water requirement and root growth (humus effect). Furthermore, socioeconomically-oriented sub-indices are conceivable. An individual sub-index now results from the deviation of a specific performance of a winter cover crop from the mean performance of all tested winter cover crops. It seems possible to use fixed target values instead of the mean performance of all tested winter cover crops.journal_article000365801800005