Turkish Journal of Field Crops

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2. Beyler İş Hanı, No: 313 Kat: 3 Konak-İzmir

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

Ugur BASARAN, Erdem GULUMSER, Medine COPUR DOGRUSOZ, Hanife MUT

Abstract

Under spring sowing condition, alfalfa (A) was intercropped with sorghum-sudangrass (SR), maize (M), soybean (S), cowpea (C) and buckwheat (B) as binary mixtures with three seed ratio (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 Complete Block Design with three replications in Yozgat-Turkey. Data including yield, protein and mineral content were collected in the establishment (2014) and first production year (2015). Intercropping, particularly those containing maize and sorghum, caused significantly (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% (4377.70 kg da-1 ), 100:60% (4249.14 kg da-1 ) and with M at 100:80% (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% (942.70 kg da-1 ) and 100A:80M% (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><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% (4377.70 kg da-1 ), 100:60% (4249.14 kg da-1 ) and with M at 100:80% (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% (942.70 kg da-1 ) and 100A:80M% (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.

Keyword: Alfalfa, hay quality, hay yield, intercropping ,

Effects of Different Water Stress Levels on Biomass Yield and Agronomic Traits of Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) Varieties under Semi-Arid Conditio

Erdal GONULAL, Suleyman SOYLU, Mehmet SAHIN

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted in the Wielkopolska region at the Gorzyń Research Station, Poland (52.34°N, 15.54°E) in Central Europe. The study was conducted over a 3-year period (2017, 2018, 2019) as a two-factorial design with four replications in the RCBD. The aim of the research was to determine the effect of the cultivar (‘Bolero’, ‘Tytan’) and the inoculation (Nitragina–seeds inoculation, Nitroflora I–seeds inoculation, Nitroflora II–soil inoculation, HiStick® Lupin–seeds inoculation) on plant development, seeds chemical composition and yielding of narrow-leaved lupin. The weather conditions and experimental factors significantly influenced on productivity of narrow-leaved lupin ‘Tytan’. Drought during the growing season reduced seeds and protein yields. After inoculation of HiStck the seeds yield was significantly greater by 12.4% (p < 0.01) and the protein yield after application of Nitroflora I or HiStick by 13.9% (p < 0.01) and 19.2% (p < 0.01), respectively. Correlation coefficients showed strong relations between number of pods and seeds per plant in both cultivars regardless of the inoculation variant, however the strongest relations in both cultivar were proved on HiStick treatment.
Keyword: Biological nitrogen fixation, chemical composition, legumes, protein efficiency, yielding