Yield and quality of forage from intercrops of barley and annual ryegrass

1992 ◽  
Vol 72 (1) ◽  
pp. 163-172 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. J. Thompson ◽  
D. G. Stout ◽  
Z. Mir ◽  
T. Moore

Three spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and four annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) types were intercropped to evaluate the potential yield and quality of forage which can be produced under irrigation in southern interior B.C. All treatments were intercrops; when barley cultivar effects are described they are averaged over the ryegrasses and vice versa. Barley cultivars differed in grain maturity. Ryegrass cultivars included diploid and tertraploid Italian and Westerwolds types. Intercrops including late grain maturing barley cultivars (Samson and Virden) increased the yield of the first silage cut (both by 25% over 2 yr) compared to Diamond, a medium-maturing cultivar adapted to the area. Intercrops containing the semi-dwarf barley, Samson, produced more digestible forage including higher in vitro digestible dry matter (IVDDM) and lower ADF and lignin. Annual ryegrass yield in the first cut intercropped with Samson was almost twice that with either Diamond or Virden, showing that Samson barley is less competitive. Second-cut yield (ryegrass regrowth) was greater for tetraploid than diploid annual ryegrasses. Yields of fall pasture (cuts 3 and 4) were similar among ryegrass cultivars. Cuts 2 and 3 (ryegrass only) of Italian ryegrasses had superior quality (higher IVDDM and protein; and lower ADF, lignin, and NDF) to Westerwolds ryegrassses, but all cultivars had similar quality in the late fall (Cut 4). It was concluded that a range of barley and annual ryegrass cultivars can be successfully intercropped to produce forage in south central B.C.Key words: Intercropping, barley annual ryegrass, forage yield and quality

1992 ◽  
Vol 72 (4) ◽  
pp. 1199-1206 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. J. Thompson ◽  
D. G. Stout

Annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam. ’Maris Ledger’) was seeded at rates ranging from 5 to 30 kg ha−1 as either a monocrop or an intercrop with 50, 100 or 150 kg ha−1 of spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L. ’Diamond’). When ryegrass is intercropped with barley, cuts 1 and 2 are usually ensiled and the remainder of seasonal production is pastured (the equivalent of two forage cuts). Monocropped annual ryegrass produced 91% as much dry matter (DM) in the silage cuts as intercropped annual ryegrass and barley but produced 105% as much pasture. Over the season, monocropped ryegrass produced 11.1 t ha−1 of forage compared with 11.7 t ha−1 for intercropped annual ryegrass and barley. Among the intercropping treatments, increased barley seeding rate resulted in greater cut 1 yields, but this was offset by reduced cut 2 yields, so barley seeding rate did not affect the yield of DM for silage. Only 50 kg ha−1 of barley seed was required to obtain maximum yearly forage yields when intercropping with annual ryegrass. No more than 10 kg ha−1 of ryegrass seed was required for optimal yield when monocropping, and no more than 15 kg ha−1 when ryegrass was intercropped with barley. Monocropped ryegrass produced superior quality forage for silage. When quality was weighted for the relative yields of cuts 1 and 2, the monocrop averaged 16% protein and 72% in vitro disappearance of dry matter (IVDDM) compared with 12% protein and 58% IVDDM for the intercrops. Among the intercrops, increasing barley seeding rate from 50 kg ha−1 to 150 kg ha−1 did not affect the protein content of silage cuts, but it decreased IVDDM from 60% to 56%. Pasture forage quality was not affected by barley seeding rate.Key words: Intercropping, annual ryegrass, barley, seeding rate, yield


1992 ◽  
Vol 72 (1) ◽  
pp. 181-185 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. J. Thompson ◽  
D. G. Stout ◽  
T. Moore

Forage yield and quality of four annual cropping sequences were compared under irrigation in the southern interior of British Columbia. Spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) was intercropped with annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) (BR), double cropped alone (B–B), double cropped in mixtures with common vetch (Vicia saliva L.) (BV-BV), or double cropped with annual ryegrass included with the second crop (B–BR). Averaged over 2 yr, BR produced 19% more dry matter, 38% more in vitro digestible dry matter and 43% more crude protein than B–B. Intercropped common vetch (BV–BV) improved forage quality and increased protein yield of both barley crops without reducing seasonal dry matter yield. Intercropping annual ryegrass reduced the neutral detergent fiber of both barley crops, but did not affect other quality characteristics or yield.Key words: Forage mixtures, barley, annual ryegrass, common vetch, forage yield and quality


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (24) ◽  
pp. 13621
Author(s):  
Walid Soufan ◽  
Nasser A. Al-Suhaibani

The changing climate, water scarcity, reduction in the land area under forage crops, expanding ruminant population, burgeoning demands for milk and meat production and food security concerns all insist on a necessary increase in forage production and quality. Cereal–legume mixed intercropping offers a biologically superior option to boost herbage yield and quality of preserved fodder (hay and silage), provided that rationalization of the component crop’s proportional ratio is performed. Therefore, the current study was conducted to determine the forage yield and quality of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and pea (Pisum sativum L.) mixtures at the ratios 100:0, 75:25, 50:50, 25:75 and 0:100. The experiment was laid out in the regular arrangement of a randomized complete block design with three replicates. The results exhibited that forage quality was significantly affected by the mixture ratio. There was a significant improvement in protein, fiber rate and digestibility from the mixture. The ratios of barley and pea with 50:50 and 25:75 produced the maximum productivity and the best quality of forage. Regarding forage preservation, silage recorded higher contents of crude protein, ash and lower fiber contents than hay. Among seed mixtures, 0:100 ratio of barley–pea yielded the highest quality of silage with the maximum crude protein, ash and digestibility with lowest fiber contents.


2014 ◽  
Vol 44 (4) ◽  
pp. 281-289 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pontus M.F. Lindgren ◽  
Thomas P. Sullivan

Integration of trees with forage and livestock production (silvopastoralism) could increase productivity of forest and range resources in western North America. Pre-commercial thinning (PCT) and fertilization are two silvicultural practices that could enhance silvopasture. We tested two hypotheses (H): that yield and quality of forage would be enhanced by (H1) heavy thinning (PCT) to ≤1000 stems·ha−1 and by (H2) repeated fertilization in lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Dougl. ex Loud. var. latifolia Engelm.) stands. Study areas were located near Summerland and Kelowna in south-central British Columbia, Canada. Each study area had six treatments: three pairs of stands thinned to densities of ∼500 (low), ∼1000 (medium), and ∼2000 (high) stems·ha−1 with one stand of each pair fertilized five times at 2 year intervals. Forage yield was enhanced by PCT, but only within fertilized stands. Forage quality was generally not affected by PCT, except for crude protein of herbs that was poorer in heavily thinned stands. Fertilization tended to enhance forage yield and quality in the heavily thinned stands. Significantly improved quality of pinegrass (Calamagrostis rubescens Buckley) indicated that repeated fertilization, coupled with heavy thinning, may extend the period when high-quality forage is available, thereby allowing for increased stocking densities of cattle (Bos taurus L.) and perhaps extending the grazing season into the fall.


1994 ◽  
Vol 74 (3) ◽  
pp. 515-519 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. E. Jedel ◽  
D. F. Salmon

Tests were conducted at Lacombe, AB, from 1989 to 1991 to determine the forage yield and quality of Wapiti triticale (× Triticosecale Rimpani Witt.) grown as a monocrop and in binary mixtures with Cascade oat (Avena sativa L.), Empress barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) or Johnston barley. The Cascade monocrop and mixtures with Wapiti had the highest DM yields (12.37–13.42 t ha−1). Yields of the barley monocrops and mixtures with Wapiti (6.60–9.10 t ha−1 in 1989 and 8.96–11.49 t ha−1 in 1990) were similar to the Wapiti monocrop (8.06 and 8.99 t ha−1). In 1991, yields for the Wapiti monocrop and 25:75 barley:Wapiti mixtures (14.54 and 14.99 t ha−1, respectively) were higher than those for the barley monocrops and 50:50 and 75:25 mixtures (11.98–12.79 t ha−1). The yields of the mixtures in 1989 and 1990 were 108 and 106% higher than expected based on the yield of the components, although in 1991 this enhancement was not observed. Moisture contents at harvest were variable and not always as expected based on the relative maturities of the species. However, mixtures with Wapiti could offer some flexibility in harvest for silage production. Protein contents were found to be highly variable and no trends were established. The Cascade monocrop and mixtures had the highest protein yields in 1990 and 1991. The acid detergent fibre (ADF) contents of the 50:50 and 25:75 Cascade:Wapiti mixtures (26.9 and 28.4 g 100 g−1) were lower than the Cascade monocrop (33.6 g 100 g−1). Lignin contents were found to vary between treatments only in 1989 when the Wapiti monocrop (3.90 g 100 g−1) was intermediate to the Empress (3.30 g 100 g−1) and Cascade (4.83 g 100 g−1). Yield stability and quality would make use of Wapiti mixtures for silage attractive choices for silage production. Key words: Silage, protein, ADF, lignin, cereal mixtures


1993 ◽  
Vol 73 (4) ◽  
pp. 927-938 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. L. Smith ◽  
B. L. Ma ◽  
S. Leibovitch ◽  
S. Lussier ◽  
W. E. Maloba

There may be potential to increase grain yield and/or quality of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) under the short crop-growing season conditions of Southwestern Quebec with intensive cereal management (ICM) practices similar to those used successfully in Europe. A field experiment was conducted for 4 yr (1987–1990) at the Macdonald Campus of McGill University to evaluate the applicability of ICM (140 kg N ha−1, 480 g a.i. ethephon ha−1, 70 g triadimefon ha−1 and 10-cm row spacing) vs. conventional cereal management (CCM) (70 kg N ha− and 20-cm row spacing) on spring barley. Four barley cultivars (Cadette, Joly, Laurier and Leger) were grown on three soil types: Bearbrook clay, St. Bernard loam and Chicot loamy sand. Grain yields of most cultivars were either unchanged or decreased 5–30% by ICM whereas Laurier occasionally yielded better under ICM than CCM. A general increase in spikes m−2 that resulted from ICM was largely offset by a reduction in grains per spike. Although ICM increased crude protein concentrations in grain and straw, use of 15N-labelled fertilizer showed a lower N recovery rate. The results indicated that yield response to ICM was inconsistent and was influenced to a large extent by prevailing weather and soil conditions. The ICM package tested is not applicable in this region. Key words: Conventional cereal management (CCM), intensive cereal management (ICM), 15N, nitrogen recovery, protein, soil type, spring barley


1997 ◽  
Vol 52 (3) ◽  
pp. 298-308 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. G. Stout ◽  
B. Brooke ◽  
J. W. Hall ◽  
D. J. Thompson

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