YIELD AND QUALITY TRAITS OF SOME PERENNIAL FORAGES AS BOTH SOLE CROPS AND INTERCROPPING MIXTURES UNDER IRRIGATED CONDITIONS

Abstract

A field study was conducted to evaluate the yield and quality traits of sole lucerne (L), sole bromegrass (B), sole tall fescue (T), sole orchardgrass (O), sole ryegrass (R), and lucerne + bromegrass + tall fescue (L+B+T) and lucerne + bromegrass + tall fescue + orchardgrass + ryegrass (L+B+T+O+R) intercropping mixtures at the GAP International Agricultural Research and Training Centre under the irrigated conditions during 2009, 2010, and 2011 in the Southeastern Turkey. Dry matter yield (DMY), crude protein content (CPC), crude protein yield (CPY), acid detergent fiber (ADF), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), dry digestible matter (DDM), dry matter intake (DMI), total digestible nutrients (TDN), and relative feed value (RFV) were determined in this study. The L+B+T intercropping mixture and sole lucerne provided higher yields than the other crops tested. Sole lucerne had higher protein and quality contents than the other sole perennial forages and intercropping mixtures. The L+B+T intercropping mixture had a higher yield and quality than the other sole perennial forages and intercropping mixtures, with the exception of sole lucerne.