Introduction of high input crops to existing rotation schemes for bio-energy production such as corn in Mediterranean areas would only be possible by improving its yield and decreasing the cultivation costs. This work focusses on the combined effect of irrigation rate and green manuring on growth and productivity of irrigated corn grown in typical Mediterranean lowland. On a flat, calcareous clay-loam soil, a three-year field experiment was conducted. Pisum sativum was sown in specific plots every year in November and grew as cover crop under rainfed conditions until mid-April where its biomass was incorporated into the soil, while maize was sown by the end of April. A 3 × 2 factorial split-plot design was used in 3 blocks. Corn irrigation comprised the main plots and pea incorporation comprised the sub-plots. Soil moisture was monitored at weakly intervals at 10 layers of 10 cm each down to 1 m soil depth. Corn growth and final yield were monitored by means of distracting samplings. The overall conclusion is the significant positive effect of green manuring on corn biomass and seed yield. This effect was mainly attributed to greater water use efficiency as green manuring was associated with greater moisture content within the rooting zone compared to control plots. The increased yield obtained could offset the increased costs of growing pea as green manure (increase in farmers’ income of 20–110 € ha⁻¹), allowing green manuring to become more widely used to reduce fertilization and irrigation inputs while also allowing corn to be introduced into current crop rotations for bio-energy production.

只有通过提高产量和降低种植成本，才能将高投入作物引入现有的生物能源生产轮作计划，例如地中海地区的玉米。这项工作的重点是灌溉率和绿肥对典型地中海低地灌溉玉米的生长和生产力的综合影响。在平坦的钙质粘壤土上进行了为期三年的田间试验。豌豆每年 11 月在特定地块播种，并在雨养条件下作为覆盖作物生长，直到 4 月中旬其生物量被吸收到土壤中，而玉米则在 4 月底播种。在 3 个区组中使用了 3 × 2 因子裂区设计。玉米灌溉构成主要地块，豌豆掺入构成子地块。以 10 层每层 10 cm 至 1 m 土壤深度的弱间隔监测土壤水分。玉米生长和最终产量通过分散取样的方式进行监测。总体结论是绿肥对玉米生物量和种子产量有显着的积极影响。这种效果主要归因于更高的水分利用效率，因为与对照地块相比，绿肥与生根区内的水分含量更高有关。增加的产量可以抵消种植豌豆作为绿肥的成本增加（农民收入增加 20-110 欧元公顷）这种影响主要归因于更高的水分利用效率，因为与对照地块相比，绿肥与生根区内的水分含量更高有关。增加的产量可以抵消种植豌豆作为绿肥的成本增加（农民收入增加 20-110 欧元公顷）这种影响主要归因于更高的水分利用效率，因为与对照地块相比，绿肥与生根区内的水分含量更高有关。增加的产量可以抵消种植豌豆作为绿肥的成本增加（农民收入增加 20-110 欧元公顷）^-1 )，允许更广泛地使用绿肥以减少施肥和灌溉投入，同时还允许将玉米引入当前的轮作以用于生物能源生产。