Plant and Nitrogen Yield of Barley‐Field Pea Intercrop in Cryoboreal‐Subhumid Central Alberta

Abstract

Growing legumes with cereals may increase both yield and protein of livestock‐feed crops as well as the quantity of N returned to soil. This study examined: (i) if barley‐field pea intercropping has advantage over sole barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) for grain and N yield and (ii) the interactions between fertilizer N and seeding densities of barley and field pea (Pisum sativum L.). In 1986 and 1987, crop and N yields of barley and barley‐pea were compared on a Malmo silt loam (Typic Cryoboroll) and a Breton loam (Typic Cryoboralf). In 1987, fertilizer N (0 and 80 kg N ha−1) and seeding density (0, 86,172, 258 seeds m−2 of barley; and 0, 25, 50, 75 seeds m−2 of field pea) effects on intercrop yield were determined on the Malmo soil. In 1986, intercropped‐barley yields at both sites were similar to sole crop yields due to low pea competition; but in 1987, they were 35 to 40% lower than sole crop yields. In three of four location‐years, grain‐N yield was higher in the intercrop than in sole barley. Nitrogen returned to soil in barley‐pea residues was at least 22% higher than in barley straw. Of the intercrop components, only barley‐straw yield increased when fertilized with 80 kg N ha−1. Peagrain yields were not affected by barley seeding rates; but barley yields decreased linearly when pea density increased from 0 to 75 seeds m−2. Fertilizer N did not interact with seeding densities of barley and pea. Area × Time Equivalent Ratios indicated an advantage of intercropping over sole cropping in N but not in plant yield. Barley‐pea intercrops, each species seeded at half its sole rate, appear to increase N production in grain and straw over sole cropping under both soil‐climate conditions.

Potential of Spring Barley, Oat and Triticale Intercrops with Field Peas for Forage Production, Nutrition Quality and Beef Cattle Diet

“…This shows that pea + cereal intercrops can improve quality of silage or green feed over the monocrop cereals. Increases in forage CP from pea + cereal intercrops over monocrops have been earlier reported for barley and oats in northern Great plains (Carr et al, 2004), and over monocrop barley in central Alberta (Izaurralde et al, 1990;Aasen et al, 2004;Strydhorst et al, 2008).…”

“…10, No. 4;2018 cereal intercrops than the respective monocrops due to high proportion of legumes in DMY (Izaurralde et al, 1990;Aasen et al, 2004;Carr et al, 2004;Strydhorst et al, 2008).…”

The potential role of annual forage legumes in Canada: A review

“…Several studies in western Canada (Izaurralde et al 1990;Johnson et al 1995a;Lopetinsky 1999;Blade et al 2001;Aasen et al 2004) and western USA (Welty 1984;Dovel and Bohle 1997;Carr et al 1998Carr et al , 2004 have shown that CP concentrations of the forage mixtures increased as the proportion of pea seed to cereal seed was increased (Table 3). Pea cultivars developed for silage had higher forage and crude protein yields compared with grain-type cultivars (Blade et al 2001).…”

“…(1 and 870Á1240 kg CP ha (1 (Jannasch and Martin 1999). In Newfoundland,a lupin-oat (Avena sativa) mixture yielded more (11.5 t DM ha…”

“…), a cold-tolerant annual legume, was introduced to Atlantic Canada in 1987 as a potential substitute in livestock feed for soybean meal, which had to be imported (Jannasch and Martin 1999). In Prince Edward Island, this lupin proved suitable for silage, but not for grain due to excessive vegetative growth, indeterminate growth habit, and late maturity (MacLeod and Ivany 1988;Clapham and Elbert-May 1989).…”