Intercropping autumn-sown annual legumes with cereals for forage production

Abstract

Intercropping annual legumes such as pea (Pisum sativum L.) and vetches (Vicia spp.) is one of the most ancient cultivation practice throughout the world, especially in temperate regions of Europe, Asia Minor, Near and Central East and North Africa. This kind of intercropping may serve for both forage and grain production. In Serbia and throughout the Balkan countries, intercropping annual legumes with cereals is used mostly for providing a high quality fodder in feeding ruminants, especially dairy cows. In a small-plot trial, carried out during the trials years of 2009/2010, 2010/2011 and 2011/2012, there were included the intercrops of eight autumn-sown cereals, namely einkorn (Triticum monococcum L.), emmer (Triticum turgidum L. subsp. dicoccon (Schrank) Thell.), spelt (Triticum aestivum L. subsp. spelta (L.) Thell.), durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L. subsp. durum (Desf.) Husn.), common wheat (Triticum aestivum L. subsp. aestivum), barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), oat (Avena sativa L.) and triticale (×Triticosecale spp.), seven spring-sown annual legumes, such as pea, common vetch (V. sativa L.), Hungarian vetch (V. pannonica Crantz), hairy vetch (V. villosa Roth), faba bean (V.faba L.), grass pea (Lathyrus sativus L.) and white lupin (Lupinus albus L.), and the sole crops of each intercrop component. Each intercrop was sown at a rate of 75%n of a legume and 25% of a cereal in comparison to the sowing rates in their sole crops.