EFFECT OF MIXTURES AND HARVEST TIME ON AGRICULTURAL AND COMPETITIVE TRAITS OF LEGUME plus CEREAL INTERCROPPING

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine yield and competitive traits of legume (Hungarian vetch HV', common vetch 'CV' and forage pea 'FP') and cereal barley 'B' and triticale 'T' mixtures under different seed rates and harvest times during 20122013 and 2014-2015 growing seasons in Yozgat, Turkey. Legume x cereal intercrops were arranged as binary mixtures with two seed rates (75:25% and 50:50% respectively). The experiment was set up as two different trials for harvest time. Each experiment was harvested on the basis of cereals maturutiy stage; first was inflorescence and second was milk dough stage. Each experiment was arranged in randomized block design with three replications. Hay yield, Relative feed value (RFV), Relative feed quality (RFQ), Land equivalent ratio (LER), aggressivity (A) and competitive ratio (CR) were investigated in the mixtures. The rage of hay yield was between 2.55 (100B%) -9.92 t ha(-1) (75HV+25B%) in the first experiment and between 2.55 (100B%) 13.88 t ha(-1) (50HV+50B%) in the second experiment. LER value was greater than 1 in all the mixtures and ranged between 1.27 - 1.90 and 1.23 - 1.96 respectively in the first and second experiment. The highest competitive ratio in cereals (CRC) was determined as 5.483 in 75CV+25T% treatments at inflorescence stage, while it was 4.624 in 75FP+25B% treatment at milk dough stage. The best results regarding for yield were obtained from the Hungarian vetch + barley intercropping in both harvest time with the specific effect of seed rates; with 50:50% and 75:25% seed rates at infloresences stage and, with 75:25% seed rate at milk dough stage.