Sometimes legumes for plowdown are seeded in oats. Roots left in the soil following the removal of various crops have an effect on future soil productivity. There can be a wide variation in the yield of roots and tops within a plant species. This variation is influenced by crop management and weather. Severe cutting or pasturing of a crop reduces the amount and depth of roots.
Dry weather slows top growth and tends to increase the ratio of roots to tops.
Root Weight per Acre and Nitrogen Content. Sweetclover July, yr. The soybean has a low weight of roots when compared with the red clover-sweetclover or the perennial following several years of hay production. Similar variation exists in the amount of nitrogen produced per acre. A summation of 14 years of Ohio data indicates corn yields following alfalfa and sweetclover were equal when both crops were plowed down one year following seeding.