HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Free Full Text (PDF) Free Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (3) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Ross, S. M. Articles by Spaner, D. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Ross, S. M. Articles by Spaner, D. Agricola Articles by Ross, S. M. Articles by Spaner, D. Related Collections Intercropping Systems Other Forage Crops Crop Systems

Production Papers

Intercropping Berseem Clover with Barley and Oat Cultivars for Forage

^a Dep. of Renewable Resour., 751 GSB, Univ. of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada T6G 2H1
^b Dep. of Agric., Food and Nutritional Sci., 4-10 Agric.-Forestry Cent., Univ. of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada T6G 2P5
^c Northern Agric. Res. Cent., Agric. and Agri-Food Canada, Beaverlodge, AB, Canada T0H 0C0

^* Corresponding author (shirley.ross{at}ualberta.ca)

Received for publication January 6, 2004. Intercrops of berseem clover (Trifolium alexandrinum L.) and silage cereals offer potential for high quality forage and partitioning of yield between silage harvest and fall grazing. Forage yield and quality of cereal–berseem clover intercrops may differ among oat (Avena sativa L.) and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) cultivars and with semidwarf or early maturing cereal cultivars. Berseem clover was intercropped with five oat and four barley cultivars at Edmonton, Alberta, in 2000 and 2001 on orthic black chernozem (Typic Cryoboroll) soil. Forage yield, composition, and quality were measured with a two-cut harvest. Silage-stage yield (Cut 1) averaged 9.9 Mg ha^–1 of dry matter (DM) with 18% berseem clover by dry weight. Berseem clover regrowth (Cut 2) averaged 2.8 Mg ha^–1 DM with crude protein (CP) of 215 g kg^–1. Intercrops with oat cultivars had greater Cut 1 DM yield, and intercrops with barley had greater yields of Cut 2 DM and total CP. The earlier maturity of barley provided for longer periods of berseem clover regrowth. Intercrops with semidwarf barley had equal yields of total DM and CP and greater Cut 2 DM yield than those with conventional-stature barley. Intercrops with early maturing oat cultivars had equal total DM yield and greater yields of Cut 2 DM and total CP than those with late-maturing oat cultivars. Forage quality indicators suggested that intercrops with barley were superior to those with oat. To maximize fall forage and increase the legume component of silage harvest, early maturing and shorter-stature cultivars of oat and barley are recommended for cereal–berseem clover intercrops.

Abbreviations: ADF, acid detergent fiber • CP, crude protein • DM, dry matter • NDF, neutral detergent fiber • PAR, photosynthetically active radiation

This article has been cited by other articles:

				I. Vasilakoglou and K. Dhima Forage Yield and Competition Indices of Berseem Clover Intercropped with Barley Agron. J., November 7, 2008; 100(6): 1749 - 1756. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]