DETERMINATION OF THE FORAGE YIELD AND GROWTH PARAMETERS OF MAIZE (Zea mays L.) WITH QUINOA (Chenopodium quinoa) INTERCROPPING AT DIFFERENT PLANT MIXTURES

Abstract

The aim of this study was to grow maize with quinoa plants as an alternative in an intercropping system and to determine the effects of different plant mixtures on production. For this purpose, a trial was carried out in the coastal Aegean region (Aydın Province) of Turkey under Mediterranean climate conditions. In addition to 100% maize and 100% quinoa (monocultures), 3 different mixtures (75% maize-25% quinoa, 50% maize50% quinoa and 25% maize-75% quinoa) were also created with the help of the row numbers in plots. To determine the effects of the different plant mixtures, the ash rate, forage yield and protein yield were measured in the mid-dough stage of maize. Moreover, the dry weights of the plants and plant parts (leaf, stalk and ear) were measured on 9 different sampling dates throughout the generative period, and the relative growth rate (RGR) and crop growth rate (CGR) were calculated. As a result, some climatic factors (extreme temperatures in 2020 and extreme rainfall in June 2019) had major impacts on the RGR and CGR values. Although the amount of maize dry matter increased in almost all mixtures, quinoa performed well only in the 50% quinoa-50% maize practice. In terms of forage yield and quality, quinoa can serve as a good alternative plant in intercropping systems with maize to improve the forage quality (with higher protein yields and ash rates) without reducing the forage yield excessively.