Perennial forage crops establishment with fodder pea as companion crop

Abstract

Perennial forage legumes produce poor yields during the establishment year if seeded as pure crops. In that light a companion/nurse crop is needed to overcome this lack of productivity in establishment years. Traditional options for this purpose include oats, or barley. But these crops do not provide all protein that farmer needs. Fodder pea as protein crop meets this requirement. Information on use of fodder pea as companion crop receives little mention in the literature. Some authors claim that forage peas can be used as suitable companion crop in perennial forage legumes establishment. In alfalfa and red clover establishment with fodder pea as nurse crop nitrogen fixation is more efficient, in particular at the very beginning of growing season. Forage and protein yield in the first year of growing increase and crop has higher competition with weed. The aim of this study was to determine whether fodder peas is suitable crop to use for the establishment of perennial forage legumes. In particular to determine the effect of pea genotype with different morphological properties (semi leaf, and reduced leaflets) and develop of agronomic practices for using peas to establish forage legumes. These include number of pea plants i.e. seeding rate, and establishment method. The trial was carried out at the experimental field in randomized block design in three replications during two years (2004 and 2005). Perennial legumes were alfalfa (cv. Mediana) and red clover (cv. Kolubara). Regarding fodder pea, two factors has been applied: fodder pea variety (Jezero-semi-leaf less and Javor-common leaf with reduced leaflets) and number of pea plants (30, 60, 90 plants of pea per square meter). Control variants were pure stand of alfalfa and red clover and their mixture with oat. At stage of technological maturity forage and protein yield (t ha-1) were monitored. On average the highest forage yield has been achieved in control-2, then variants with cover crop and the lowest in pure stand of investigated perennial legumes. Concerning fodder pea variety on average both for alfalfa and red clover similar forage yield has been achieved. Regarding number of plants the highest average yield was obtained with 90 pea plants. First cut has the highest portion in annual yield. As consequence of small variation in crude protein content, crude protein yield has the same trend like forage yield.

Višegodišnje krmne leguminoze u prolećnom zasnivanju, što je najčešći slučaj u našim agroekološkim uslovima daju mali prinos krme u prvoj godini ako se seju kao čist usev. Združena setva je efikasan način za povećanje prinosa krme u prvom otkosu, odnosno prvoj godini života. Tradicionalne opcije združene setve višegodišnjih leguminoza koje imaju za cilj povećanje prinosa uključuju strna žita, pre svega ovas ili ječam. Međutim, ovi usevi nemaju zadovoljavajući kvalitet, što nije slučaj kod stočnog graška koji pored prednosti vezanih za kvalitet ima i odgovarajuće morfološke i biološke osobine pogodne za združenu setvu, što se pozitivno odražava na naredne otkose i godine eksploatacije poduseva. U poljskim uslovima u toku dve godine postavljena su dva uporedna dvofaktorijalna ogleda u kome su podusevi bili lucerka i crvena detelina. U odnosu na stočni grašak kao nadusev ispitivana su dva faktora, sorta (Jezero i Javor) i broj biljaka (30, 60, i 90 po m2). Kao kontrola korišćene su lucerka i crvena detelina sejane u čistoj setvi i združeno sa ovsem. U obe godine istraživanja najveći prinos zelene mase kod oba poduseva dobijen je u smeši sa ovsem. U združenoj setvi sa stočnim graškom, na svim tretmanima dobijen je veći prinos u odnosu na kontrolu 1 (čist usev višegodišnje leguminoze). U pogledu faktora A, kod obe sorte dobijene su slične vrednosti prinosa zelene mase. Kada je u pitanju broj biljaka (faktor B), najveći prinos je dobijen setvom 90 biljaka po m2. Prvi otkos u združenoj setvi ima izrazit udeo u produkciji zelene mase na godišnjem nivou. S obzirom na mali razmak varijacije u pogledu sadržaja proteina, prinos proteina u prvom otkosu ima isti trend kretanja kao i prinos zelene mase.