IMPROVING YIELD AND QUALITY IN SPRING-SOWN ALFALFA WITH ANNUAL COMPANION CROPS

Abstract

Under spring sowing condition, alfalfa (A) was intercropped with sorghum-sudangrass (SR), maize (M), soybean (S), cowpea (C) and buckwheat (B) as binary mixtures with three seed ratio (A:X%; 100:100, 100:80, 100:60%) and, results were compared to alone alfalfa. Removing companion crops from stand was different times based on their stages and decided mainly considering forage quality and animal consumption. The experiment was arranged as a randomized block design with three replications in Yozgat-Turkey. Data including yield, protein and mineral content were collected in the establishment (2014) and first production year (2015). Intercropping, particularly those containing maize and sorghum, caused significantly (p