FORAGE YIELD AND QUALITY OF INTERCROPPED ANNUAL RYEGRASS WITH BERSEEM CLOVER SOWN AT DIFFERENT SEED MIXTURE RATIOS UNDER RAINFALL CONDITIONS OF MEDITERRANEAN CLIMATE

Abstract

This research was carried out under rainfall conditions of the Mediterranean climate to study the effects of different seed mixture ratios (Berseem clover (BC100), annual ryegrass (AR100), BC80-AR20, BC60-AR40, BC40-AR60, BC20-AR80) on forage yield and quality characteristics of mixture. The experiments were conducted in a randomized complete block design with three replications during the growing season of 2020- 2021 and 2021-2022. Annual ryegrass sown as pure produced higher green forage yield than berseem clover sown as pure and the mixtures. In the mixture of berseem clover at 20% seed rate and pure annual ryegrass, higher hay yields were determined compared to the other mixtures. In terms of total LER, BC80-AR20 and BC20-AR80 mixtures were the two most advantageous mixtures, while the aggressivity value of annual ryegrass showed a positive value and became the dominant species. Pure sown berseem clover had lower ADF, NDF and higher crude protein content than pure sown annual ryegrass and other mixtures tested. According to these results, it can be said that berseem clover can be included in the mixture at low seed rates for high forage yield under rainfall conditions, while berseem clover can be grown as pure for high forage quality

Keywords

• Legume-grass mixture
• Seed mixture rate
• Yield and quality

Supporting Institution

Cukurova University Scientific Research Projects Coordination Office

Project Number

FBA-2021-14240.

Thanks

The first year of study (2020-2021) was supported by the Cukurova University Scientific Research Projects Coordination Office under project number FBA-2021-14240.

References

1. Acikgoz, E. 2001. Forage Crops. Bursa Uludag University Empowerment Foundation Publication No:182.
2. Anil, L., J. Park, R.H. Phipps and F.A. Miller. 1998. Temperate intercropping of cereals for forage: A review of the potential for growth and utilization with particular reference to the UK. Grass and Forage Sci. 53(4):301-317.
3. Atis, I., K. Kokten, R. Hatipoglu, S. Yilmaz, M. Atak and E. Can. 2012. Plant density and mixture ratio effects on the competition between common vetch and wheat. Australian Journal of Crop Sci. 21(4): 975-985.
4. Brooker, R.W., A.E. Bennett, W.F. Cong, T.J. Daniell, T.S. George, P.D. Hallett, C. Hawes, P.P.M. Iannetta, H.G. Jones, A.J. Karley, L. Li, B.M. Mckenzie, R.J. Pakeman, E. Paterson, C. Schöb, J. Shen, G. Squire, C.A. Watson, C. Zhang, F. Zhang, J. Zhang and P.J. White. 2015. Improving intercropping: A synthesis of research in agronomy, plant physiology and ecology. New Phytologist 206(1):107-117.
5. Caballero, R., E.L. Goicoechea and P.J. Hernaiz. 1995. Forage yields and quality of common vetch and oat sown at varying seeding ratios and seeding rates of vetch. Field Crops Research 41(2):135-140.
6. Chen, C., M. Westcott, K. Neill, D. Wichman and M. Knox. 2004. Row configuration and nitrogen applicant for barleypea intercropping in Montana. Agronomy Journal 96(6):1730-1738.
7. De Santis, G., A. Iannucci, D. Dantone and E. Chiaravalle. 2004. Changes during growth in the nutritive value of components of berseem clover (Trifolium alexandrinum L.) under different cutting treatments in a Mediterranean region. Grass and Forage Science 59(4):378-388.
8. De Silva, C., P. Rathor, H.P. Poudel and M.S. Thilakarathna. 2023. Effects of drought stress on red clover-grass mixed stands compared to grass monoculture stands in nitrogendeficient systems. Nitrogen (Switzerland) 4(4):382-396.

9. Dhima, K.V., A.S. Lithourgidis, I.B. Vasilakoglou and C.A. Dordas. 2007. Competition indices of common vetch and cereal intercrops in two seeding ratio. Field Crops Research 100(2-3):249-256.
10. Droushiotis, D.N. 1989. Mixtures of annual legumes and smallgrained cereals for forage production under low rainfall. Journal of Agricultural Science 113:249-253.
11. El-Karamany, M.F., B.A. Bakry and T.A.E-F. Elewa. 2014. Integrated action of mixture rates and nitrogen levels on quantity and quality of forage mixture from Egyptian clover and barley in sandy soil. Agricultural Sciences 5:1539-1546.
12. Erkovan, S. 2022. Row seeding configuration regulates yield, quality and competition in common vetch (Vicia sativa L.)- Sudangrass (Sorgum sudanense (Piper.) Stapf.) mixture. Turkish Journal of Field Crops 27(1):87-94.
13. Ertekin, I. and Yilmaz, S. 2022. The effects of sowing designs on forage yield and quality of sweet sorghum and mung bean mixtures under Mediterranean conditions. Turkish Journal of Field Crops 27(2):188-199.
14. Giambalvo, D., P. Ruisi, G. Di Miceli, A.S. Frenda and G. Amato. 2011. Forage production, N uptake, N2 fixation, and N recovery of berseem clover grown in pure stand and in mixture with annual ryegrass under different managements. Plant and Soil 342(1-2):379-391.
15. Hall, D.D., G.L. Cromwell and T.S. Stahly. 1991. Effects of dietary calcium, phosphorus, calcium: phosphorus ratio and vitamin K on performance, bone strength and blood clotting status of pigs. Journal of animal science 69(2):646-655.
16. Hatipoglu, R., K. Kokten, I. Atis and B. Kutluay. 2005. Effects of mixture rate on the hay yield and hay quality of the mixture of Persian clover (Trifolium resupinatum L.) and annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) under dry land condıtıons of Cukurova. Turkey VI. Field Crops Congress, Antalya, 803–808.
17. Kacar, B. and A. Inal. 2010. Plant Analysis. Ankara, Nobel Publication Distribution. Kavut, Y.T., H. Geren, H. Soya, R. Avcioglu and B. Kir. 2014.
18. Effects of rate of mixture and time of harvest on the winter second crop performances of mixtures of some annual legumes and Italian ryegrass. Journal of Ege University Faculty of Agriculture 51(3):279-288.
19. Lithourgidis, A.S., I.B. Vasilakoglou, K.V. Dhima, C.A. Dordas and M.D. Yiakoulaki. 2006. Forage yield and quality of common vetch mixtures with oat and triticale in two seeding ratios. Field Crops Research 99(2–3):106-113.
20. Lithourgidis, A.S., C.A. Dordas, C.A. Damalas and D.N. Vlachostergios. 2011. Annual intercops: an alternative pathway for sustainable agriculture. Australian Journal of Crop Sci. 5(4):396-410.
21. McGilchrist, C.A. 1965. Analysis of competition experiments. Biometrics 21(4):975-985.
22. Mead, R. and R.W. Willey. 1980. The concept of a ‘land equivalent ratio’ and advantages in yields from intercropping. Experimental Agriculture 16(3):217-228.
23. Meza, K., S.J. Vanek, Y. Sueldo, E. Olivera, R. Ccanto, M. Scurrah and S.J. Fonte. 2022. Grass–legume mixtures show potential to increase above- and belowground biomass production for Andean forage-based fallows. Agronomy 12(142):1-20.
24. Negesse, T., S. Funte, and A. Tolera. 2010. Forage Dry Matter yield and nutritive value of the natural pasture of Umbulo Wacho Watershed, Southern Ethiopia. East African Journal of Sci. 4(1):1-10.
25. Ofori, F. and W.R. Stern. 1987. Cereal–legume intercropping systems. Advances in Agronomy 41(C):41-90.
26. Osman, A.E. and N. Nersoyan. 1986. Effect of the proportion of species on the yield and quality of forage mixtures, and on the yield of barley in the following year. Experimental Agriculture 22(4):345-351.
27. Pedraza, V., F. Perea, M. Saavedra, M. Foetes and C. Alcantara. 2017. View of Vicia narbonensis-Avena strigosa mixture, a viable alternative in rainfed cropping systems under Mediterranean conditions. Spanish Journal of Agricultural Research 15(4):1-13.
28. Rajab, M.N., W.M.E. Mousa and A.M.A. Abd El-Monem. 2021. Yield and quality of Egyptian clover and ryegrass mixtures under nitrogen levels and bio-fertilizer. Journal of American Science 17(5):74-88.
29. Raza, M.A., W. Zhiqi, H.S. Yasin, H. Gul, R. Qin, S.U. Rehman, A. Mahmood, Z. Iqbal, Z. Ahmed, S. Luo, C. Juan, X. Liang, H. Gitari, M.H. Bin Khalid, Y. Feng and M. Zhongming. 2023. Effect of crop combination on yield performance, nutrient uptake, and land use advantage of cereal/legume intercropping systems. Field Crops Research 304: 109144.
30. Ross, S.M., J.R. King, J.T. O’Donovan and R.C. Izaurralde. 2003. Seeding rate effects in oat-berseem clover intercrops. Canadian Journal of Plant Science 83(4):769-778.
31. Saia, S., V. Urso, G. Amato, A.S. Frenda, D. Giambalvo, P. Ruisi and G. Di Miceli. 2016. Mediterranean forage legumes grown alone or in mixture with annual ryegrass: biomass production, N2 fixation, and indices of intercrop efficiency. Plant and Soil 402(1-2):395-407.
32. Salama, H.S.A. and H.H. Badry. 2015. Influence of variable mixing rates and nitrogen fertilization levels on the fodder quality of Egyptian clover (Trifolium alexandrinum L.) and annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.). African Journal of Agricultural Research 10(53):4858-4864.
33. Salama, H.S.A. 2020. Mixture cropping of berseem clover with cereals to improve forage yield and quality under irrigated conditions of the Mediterranean basin. Annals of Agricultural Sciences 65(2):159-167.
34. Sheaffer, C.C., M.A. Peterson, M. Mccalin, J.J. Volene, J.H. Cherney, K.D. Johnson, W.T. Woodward and D.R. Vinads. 1995. Acid detergent fiber, neutral detergent fiber concentration, and relative feed value, https://www.naaic.org/stdtests/acidfiber.pdf, (Accessed October 22, 2023)
35. Solomon, J.K.Q., B. Macoon, D.J. Lang, J.A. Parish and R.C. Vann. 2011. A novel approach to grass-legume management. Crop Science 51(4):1865-1876.
36. Steel, R.G.D. and J.H. Torrie. 1980. Principles and Procedures of Statistics: A Biometrical Approach. 2. ed. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company.
37. Tahir, M., C. Li, T. Zeng, Y. Xin, C. Chen, H.H. Javed, W. Yang and Y. Yan. 2022. Mixture composition influenced the biomass yield and nutritional quality of legume–grass pastures. Agronomy 12:1449.
38. Thompson, D.J., D.G. Stout, Z. Mir and T. Moore. 1992. Yield and quality of forage from intercrops of barley and annual ryegrass. Canadian Journal of Plant Science 72(1):163-172.
39. Van Soest, P.J., J.B. Robertson and B.A. Lewis. 1991. Methods for dietary fiber, neutral detergent fiber, and nonstarch polysaccharides in relation to animal nutrition. Journal of Dairy Science 74(10):3583-3597.
40. Vasilakoglou, I. And K. Dhima. 2008. Forage yield and competition indices of berseem clover intercropped with barley. Agronomy Journal 100(6):1749-1756.
41. Willey, R.W. 1979. Intercropping-its importance and research needs, Part1: Competition and yield advantages. Field Crop Abstracts 32:1-10.
42. Yucel, C., M. Avci, H. Yucel, U. Sevilmis and R. Hatipoglu. 2018a. Effects of seed mixture ratio and harvest time on forage yield and silage quality of intercropped berseem clover with triticale. Fresenius Environmental Bulletin 27:5312-5322.
43. Yucel, C., I. Inal, D. Yucel and R. Hatipoglu. 2018. Effects of mixture ratio and cutting time on forage yield and silage quality of intercropped berseem clover and Italian ryegrass. Legume Research 41(6):846-853.