IMPROVING YIELD AND QUALITY IN SPRING-SOWN ALFALFA WITH ANNUAL COMPANION CROPS

Authors : Ugur BASARAN, Erdem GULUMSER, Medine COPUR, Hanife MUT

Pages : 138-146

Doi:10.17557/tjfc.831941

View : 24 | Download : 7

Publication Date : 2020-12-07

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :Under spring sowing condition, alfalfa insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(A); was intercropped with sorghum-sudangrass insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(SR);, maize insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(M);, soybean insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(S);, cowpea insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(C); and buckwheat insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(B); as binary mixtures with three seed ratio insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(A:X%; 100:100, 100:80, 100:60%); and, results were compared to alone alfalfa. Removing companion crops from stand was different times based on their stages and decided mainly considering forage quality and animal consumption. The experiment was arranged as a randomized block design with three replications in Yozgat-Turkey. Data including yield, protein and mineral content were collected in the establishment insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(2014); and first production year insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(2015);. Intercropping, particularly those containing maize and sorghum, caused significantly insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(p<0.05); higher hay and protein yield in both separate and combined years compared to alone seeded alfalfa. According to two-years results, total hay and protein yield of alone alfalfa determined as respectively 3294.92 kg da-1 and 793.04 kg da-1. In combined years, intercropped A with SR at 100:80% insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(4377.70 kg da-1);, 100:60% insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(4249.14 kg da-1); and with M at 100:80% insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(4307.21 kg da-1); were the highest yielding treatments for hay. Similarly, protein yield was determined the highest in the treatments of 100A:80SR% insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(942.70 kg da-1); and 100A:80M% insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(949.09 kg da-1);. So, maize and sorghum-sudangrass at 80% seed ratio was the best companion crops for alfalfa in the present conditions.
Keywords : Alfalfa, hay quality, hay yield, intercropping