| Field pea (Pisum sativum L.) is the traditional grain legume crop grown in the Parkland region of Alberta; however, tannin-free faba bean (Vicia faba L.) and narrow-leafed lupin ( Lupinus angustifolius L.) may also be productive grain legume crops in the region. A series of experiments were conducted to establish local best management practices for faba bean and lupin, to quantify the grain and forage productivity of new and traditional grain legumes, and to determine grain legume N contributions to Alberta cropping systems.;Faba bean, lupin, and pea produced maximum seed yields of 7640, 4020, and 6460 kg ha-1, respectively. The absence of weed interference and a high planting density increased grain legume seed and N-fixation yields. In the absence of weed interference, faba bean, pea, and lupin N-fixation yields ranged from 70-223, 78-147, and 46-173 kg N ha-1, respectively. However, the management practices that increased N fixation resulted in only marginal subsequent wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) yield increases.;Faba bean and lupin crop residues have the potential to supply more N to subsequent crops than pea crop residues. After approximately 10 months of decomposition, the amount of N released from surface placed and buried residues, respectively, was: 66 and 64 kg ha-1 from barley, 63 and 72 kg ha-1 from faba bean, 106 and 131 kg ha -1 from lupin, and 37 and 49 kg ha-1 from pea.;The N rotational benefits of grain legume crops to subsequent crops were predicted by accounting for N fixation and N export, and measuring soil labile N. However, these methods could not predict plant available N. The increased yield and quality of crops grown on grain legume stubble cannot be primarily explained by changes in soil N availability; therefore, further assessments of non-N rotational benefits are required.;Forage intercrop mixtures of grain legumes and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) yielded less than, or similar to, barley sole crops. Faba bean-barley, lupin-barley, and pea-barley intercrops had 64%, 27%, and 55% higher protein yields, respectively, than sole crop barley. Pea-barley intercrops offered the most favorable combination of forage DM yield, nutritive value, and economic returns. |
