Data on the effect of cultivars and irrigation on soybean yield and rotational effects. Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF) https://www.doi.org/10.4228/ZALF.DK.103

This data set reports measurements and observations from a soybean cropping system experiment (2015-2018) investigating the effects of cultivars and irrigation on soybean yield and rotational effects on a subsequent cereal crop. The objective was to design novel soybean-supported cropping systems in north-eastern Germany. The data supports agronomic analyses, as well as dynamic simulation modelling and includes details on crop growth, soil characteristics and weather. In the first part of the experiment different soybean cultivars and the effect of irrigation were compared in a split block design with six replicates and the factors cultivar and irrigation during three consecutive years (2015-2017). The treatments included with and without irrigation and three early maturing soybean cultivars of maturity group 000 (cv. Merlin and cv. Sultana for feed use and cv. Protibus for human food use). Buckwheat and Narrow-leafed lupin (cv. Probor) were cultivated as references. Seeds were inoculated with HISTICK® soybean (BASF, Germany). Measurements included whole plant biomass, grain yield, one thousand seed weigh, macro nutrients (N, P, K) in the biomass and grain, and additional agronomic observations including number of plants and plant phenology. Irrigation water was applied with a sprinkler system using the Web-BEREST model (Mirschel et al., 2014) to determine the amounts and timing (data on the amounts and dates are provided). In the second part of the experiment, the pre-crop effect of soybean (without cover crop), narrow-leafed lupin (followed by turnip rape as a cover crop), and buckwheat (without cover crop) was tested on the grain yield and nutrient content in the following oat crop and on the nitrogen dynamics in the soil. Before winter (November) and in the subsequent spring (March), mineral nitrogen was measured in the soil at three depths (0-30 cm, 30-60 cm, and 60-90 cm) after the different pre-crops. A spring oat was established following the different pre-crops with 6 replicates during three consecutive years (2016-2018).