The productivity of oats and berseem clover intercrops. I. Primary growth characteristics and forage quality at four densities of oats

Abstract

Berseem clover (Trifolium alexandrinum L.) was sown as an intercrop with oats (Avena sativa L.) at 0, 30, 60, 90 and 240 oats plants m )2 in May in 1999 and 2000 in Alberta, Canada. Forage yield and quality were measured at 10-d intervals between 35 and 88 d after planting (DAP). Yield is defined as the biomass above 6 cm of the soil surface. The dry-matter (DM) yield of berseem clover in sole crops increased by 5-10 g m )2 d )1 between 35 and 55 DAP and then increased by 21-28 g m )2 d )1 between 55 and 75 DAP. The DM yields of oats sown at 240 plants m )2 increased by 26-28 g m )2 d )1 over the whole period from 35 to 75 DAP. Oats were the dominant component in the intercrops, even at low densities of oats. Berseem clover grown with 60 oats plants m )2 received only 0AE24 of the incident light when shading by oats peaked at 65 DAP. DM yields of berseem clover in intercrops with 60 oats plants m )2 averaged 0AE14-0AE32 of the yields of berseem clover sole crops. Between 35 and 88 DAP in 2000, the crude protein (CP) concentration of berseem clover sole crops declined linearly from 310 to 180 g kg )1 DM, and the CP concentration of oats exhibited a quadratic response, declining from 350 g kg )1 DM at tillering to 110 g kg )1 DM at the soft dough stage. The mean CP concentration of berseem clover in intercrops with 60 oats plants m )2 was 25 g kg )1 less than in berseem clover sole crops, indicating that competition by oats reduced the CP concentration of berseem clover. At later sampling dates, CP and DM yields of intercrops with oats at 60 plants m )2 equalled those with oats at 240 plants m )2 . The addition of berseem clover to oats in intercrops at 60 oats plants m )2 reduced the neutraldetergent fibre concentration by 30 g kg )1 DM compared with oats alone. Oats were very competitive as a companion crop for berseem clover. Adding berseem clover to oats increased forage quality and may provide for increased intake and digestibility of forage to support higher livestock productivity.

Yields, Quality and Suitability of Four Annual Forages for Deer Pasture in North Central Alberta

“…Field pea preference was equal to berseem clover until the last period of the trial, at which time preference for this forage type sharply declined coincident with reduced biomass as a result of high utilization. Field pea and berseem clover were both high yielding and high quality; a finding that supports other research in western Canada [2,9]. In contrast, preference for turnip increased to 29.9%, suggesting deer switched from field pea to turnips with time ( Table 3).…”

“…Of the four forages, berseem clover seems to be the one that has been evaluated by most researchers. The dry matter yield for berseem clover (4368 kg ha -1 DM) at 84 DAP in the current research was lower than results obtained for berseem clover biomass (6000 kg ha -1 DM) at 76 DAP in a study in Edmonton, Alberta by Ross et al [9], and those obtained by Brink et al [14] for berseem clover at 61 DAP in Mississippi. However, the results of the current study compare favorably with berseem clover in late-May in Italy which yielded 3000-5000 kg ha -1 DM [15] and berseem clover sown in northern USA which yielded 4000 kg ha -1 DM at 90 DAP [6].…”

“…The CP concentrations obtained in the current study are comparable to other studies. For example, Ross et al [9] found that between 35 and 88 DAP, CP concentration of berseem clover declined from 310 to 180 g kg -1 DM. The CP concentrations of berseem clover were also consistent with ranges of 180 to 270 g kg -1 DM found by Duke et al [16] and 180-300 g kg -1 DM found by Guessous et al [17] and 140 g kg -1 DM after 70 DAP by [14].…”

“…varia L) have shown promise for high N accumulation and forage production in Alaska [7]. While research on annual forage production and quality has been conducted for the cattle industry in western Canada [2,8,9], little research has assessed the suitability of annual forages for deer pasture. Annual forages can be utilized to provide alternative forage during perennial pasture rejuvenation on deer pastures, a frequent requirement due to the highly selective foraging behavior of deer and removal of preferred forages from pasture swards.…”

Intercropping of Corn With Some Selected Legumes for Improved Forage Production: A Review

“…The total vitality value of corn forage does not vary much, it offers about 72% total digestible nutrients (TDN) whether it is browsed while green and emergent, or at prime of life (Troy, 2011). Forage quality of legume is high but has low dry matter making (Ross et al, 2005). The NDF and ADF contents are important in rations formulation because they reflect the amount of forage that can be used up by animals (Lithourgidis et al, 2006).…”