Evaluation of Forage Yield and Competition Indices for Intercropped Barley and Legumes
Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), vetch (Vicia villosa),
and grass pea (Lathyrus sativus L.) monocultures as well as mixtures
of barley with each of the above legumes, in three seeding ratios (i.e.,
barley: legume 75:25, 50:50 and 25:75, based on seed numbers) were
used to investigated forage yield and competition indices. The results
showed that intercropping reduced the dry matter yield of the three
component plants, compared with their respective monocrops. The
greatest value of total dry matter yield was obtained from barley25-
grasspea75 (5.44 t ha-1) mixture, followed by grass pea sole crop (4.99
t ha-1). The total actual yield loss (AYL) values were positive and
greater than 0 in all mixtures, indicating an advantage from
intercropping over sole crops. Intercropped barley had a higher
relative crowding coefficient (K=1.64) than intercropped legumes
(K=1.20), indicating that barley was more competitive than legumes
in mixtures. Furthermore, grass pea was more competitive than vetch
in mixtures with barley. The highest land equivalent ratio (LER),
system productivity index (SPI) and monetary advantage index
(MAI) were obtained when barley was mixed at a rate of 25% with
75% seed rate of grass pea. It is concluded that intercropping of
barley with grass pea has a good potential to improve the
performance of forage with high land-use efficiency.
[1] Agegnehu, G., Ghizam, A., Sinebo, W., 2006. Yield performance and
land-use efficiency of barley and faba bean mixed cropping in Ethiopian
highlands. Eur. J. Agron. 25, 202–207.
[2] Assefa, G., Ledin, I., 2001. Effect of variety, soil type and fertilizer on
the establishment, growth, forage yield, quality and voluntary intake by
cattle of oats and vetches cultivated in pure stands and mixtures. Anim.
Feed Sci. Technol. 92, 95–111.
[3] [3] Banik, P., Midya, A., Sarkar, B.K., Ghose, S.S., 2006. Wheat and
chickpea intercropping systems in an additive series experiment :
Advantages and weed smothering. Eur. J. Agron. 24, 325- 332.
[4] [4] Banik, P., Sasmal, T., Ghosal, P.K., Bagchi, D.K., 2000. Evaluation
of mustard (Brassica campestris var.Toria) and legume in 1:1 and 2:1
replacement series system. J. Agron. Crop Sci. 185, 9–14.
[5] [5] Caballero, R., Goicoechea, E.L., Hernaiz, P.J., 1995. Forage yields
and quality of common vetch and oat sown at varying seeding ratios and
seeding rates of common vetch. Field Crops Res. 41, 135–140.
[6] [6] Carr, P.M., Horsley, R.D., Poland, W.W., 2004. Barley, oat, and
cereal–pea mixtures as dryland forages in the northern great plains.
Agron. J. 96, 677–684.
[7] Dabbagh Mohammadi Nasab, A., Amon, T., Kaul, H-P., 2011.
Competition and yield in intercrops maize and sunflower for biogas.
Indust. Crops Product. 34,1203-1211.
[8] Dhima, K.V., Lithourgidis, A.S., Vasilakoglou, I.B., Dordas, C.A., 2007.
Competition indices of common vetch and cereal intercrops in two
seeding ratio. Field Crops Res. 100, 249–256.
[9] Ghosh, P.K., 2004. Growth, yield, competition and economics of
groundnut / cereal fodder intercropping systems in the semi- arid tropics
of India. Field Crops Res. 88, 227- 237.
[10] Lithourgidis, A.S., Dordas, C.A., 2010. Forage yield, growth rate and
nitrogen uptake of wheat, barley and rye–faba bean intercrops in three
seeding ratios. Crop Sci. 50, 2148–2158.
[11] Lithourgidis, A.S., Valchostergios, D.N., Dordas, C.A., Damalas, C.A.,
2011. Dry matter yield, nitrogen content, and competition in pea–cereal
intercropping systems. Eur. J. Agron. 34, 287–294.
[12] Odo, P.E., 1991. Evaluation of short and tall sorghum varieties in
mixtures with cowpea in the Sudan savanna of Nigeria: land equivalent
ratio, grain yield and system productivity index. Expl. Agric. 27, 435-
441.
[13] Ross, S.M., King, J.R., O, Donovan, J.T., Spaner, D., 2005. The
productivity of oats and berseem clover intercrops. I. Primary growth
characteristics and forage quality at four densities of oats. Grass Forage
Sci. 60, 74-86.
[14] Sadeghpour, A. Jahanzad, E. Esmaeili, A. Hosseini, M.B. Hashemi, M.,
2013. Forage yield, quality and economic benefit of intercropped barley
and annual medic in semi-arid conditions: Additive series. Field Crops
Res. 148, 43–48.
[15] Strydhorst, S.M., King, J.R., Lopetinsky, K.J., Neil Harker, K., 2008.
Forage potential of intercropping barley with faba bean, lupin, or field
pea. Agron. J. 100, 182-190.
[16] Willey, R.W., Rao, M.R., 1980. A competitive ratio for quantifying
competition between intercrops. Exp. Agric. 16, 117–125.
[17] Xu, B.C., Li, F.M., Shan, L., 2008. Switchgrass and milkvetch
intercropping under 2:1 row- replacement in semiarid region, northwest
China: Aboveground biomass and water use efficiency. Eur. J. Agron.
28, 485-492.
[1] Agegnehu, G., Ghizam, A., Sinebo, W., 2006. Yield performance and
land-use efficiency of barley and faba bean mixed cropping in Ethiopian
highlands. Eur. J. Agron. 25, 202–207.
[2] Assefa, G., Ledin, I., 2001. Effect of variety, soil type and fertilizer on
the establishment, growth, forage yield, quality and voluntary intake by
cattle of oats and vetches cultivated in pure stands and mixtures. Anim.
Feed Sci. Technol. 92, 95–111.
[3] [3] Banik, P., Midya, A., Sarkar, B.K., Ghose, S.S., 2006. Wheat and
chickpea intercropping systems in an additive series experiment :
Advantages and weed smothering. Eur. J. Agron. 24, 325- 332.
[4] [4] Banik, P., Sasmal, T., Ghosal, P.K., Bagchi, D.K., 2000. Evaluation
of mustard (Brassica campestris var.Toria) and legume in 1:1 and 2:1
replacement series system. J. Agron. Crop Sci. 185, 9–14.
[5] [5] Caballero, R., Goicoechea, E.L., Hernaiz, P.J., 1995. Forage yields
and quality of common vetch and oat sown at varying seeding ratios and
seeding rates of common vetch. Field Crops Res. 41, 135–140.
[6] [6] Carr, P.M., Horsley, R.D., Poland, W.W., 2004. Barley, oat, and
cereal–pea mixtures as dryland forages in the northern great plains.
Agron. J. 96, 677–684.
[7] Dabbagh Mohammadi Nasab, A., Amon, T., Kaul, H-P., 2011.
Competition and yield in intercrops maize and sunflower for biogas.
Indust. Crops Product. 34,1203-1211.
[8] Dhima, K.V., Lithourgidis, A.S., Vasilakoglou, I.B., Dordas, C.A., 2007.
Competition indices of common vetch and cereal intercrops in two
seeding ratio. Field Crops Res. 100, 249–256.
[9] Ghosh, P.K., 2004. Growth, yield, competition and economics of
groundnut / cereal fodder intercropping systems in the semi- arid tropics
of India. Field Crops Res. 88, 227- 237.
[10] Lithourgidis, A.S., Dordas, C.A., 2010. Forage yield, growth rate and
nitrogen uptake of wheat, barley and rye–faba bean intercrops in three
seeding ratios. Crop Sci. 50, 2148–2158.
[11] Lithourgidis, A.S., Valchostergios, D.N., Dordas, C.A., Damalas, C.A.,
2011. Dry matter yield, nitrogen content, and competition in pea–cereal
intercropping systems. Eur. J. Agron. 34, 287–294.
[12] Odo, P.E., 1991. Evaluation of short and tall sorghum varieties in
mixtures with cowpea in the Sudan savanna of Nigeria: land equivalent
ratio, grain yield and system productivity index. Expl. Agric. 27, 435-
441.
[13] Ross, S.M., King, J.R., O, Donovan, J.T., Spaner, D., 2005. The
productivity of oats and berseem clover intercrops. I. Primary growth
characteristics and forage quality at four densities of oats. Grass Forage
Sci. 60, 74-86.
[14] Sadeghpour, A. Jahanzad, E. Esmaeili, A. Hosseini, M.B. Hashemi, M.,
2013. Forage yield, quality and economic benefit of intercropped barley
and annual medic in semi-arid conditions: Additive series. Field Crops
Res. 148, 43–48.
[15] Strydhorst, S.M., King, J.R., Lopetinsky, K.J., Neil Harker, K., 2008.
Forage potential of intercropping barley with faba bean, lupin, or field
pea. Agron. J. 100, 182-190.
[16] Willey, R.W., Rao, M.R., 1980. A competitive ratio for quantifying
competition between intercrops. Exp. Agric. 16, 117–125.
[17] Xu, B.C., Li, F.M., Shan, L., 2008. Switchgrass and milkvetch
intercropping under 2:1 row- replacement in semiarid region, northwest
China: Aboveground biomass and water use efficiency. Eur. J. Agron.
28, 485-492.
@article{"International Journal of Biological, Life and Agricultural Sciences:70750", author = "Abdollah Javanmard and Fariborz Shekari and Hasan Dehghanian", title = "Evaluation of Forage Yield and Competition Indices for Intercropped Barley and Legumes", abstract = "Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), vetch (Vicia villosa),
and grass pea (Lathyrus sativus L.) monocultures as well as mixtures
of barley with each of the above legumes, in three seeding ratios (i.e.,
barley: legume 75:25, 50:50 and 25:75, based on seed numbers) were
used to investigated forage yield and competition indices. The results
showed that intercropping reduced the dry matter yield of the three
component plants, compared with their respective monocrops. The
greatest value of total dry matter yield was obtained from barley25-
grasspea75 (5.44 t ha-1) mixture, followed by grass pea sole crop (4.99
t ha-1). The total actual yield loss (AYL) values were positive and
greater than 0 in all mixtures, indicating an advantage from
intercropping over sole crops. Intercropped barley had a higher
relative crowding coefficient (K=1.64) than intercropped legumes
(K=1.20), indicating that barley was more competitive than legumes
in mixtures. Furthermore, grass pea was more competitive than vetch
in mixtures with barley. The highest land equivalent ratio (LER),
system productivity index (SPI) and monetary advantage index
(MAI) were obtained when barley was mixed at a rate of 25% with
75% seed rate of grass pea. It is concluded that intercropping of
barley with grass pea has a good potential to improve the
performance of forage with high land-use efficiency.
", keywords = "Forage, grass pea, intercropping, land equivalent
ratio (LER), monetary advantage.", volume = "8", number = "2", pages = "193-4", }
