0000000001263505
AUTHOR
C Attardo
Berseem-annual ryegrass intercropping: effect of plant arrangement and seeding ratio on N2 fixation and yield
Various agronomic factors can affect the productivity and the efficiency of legume-grass intercropping systems. This research was carried out in a Mediterranean semi-arid environment (37°30’N; 13°31’E; 178 m a.s.l.) with the aim to study on berseem clover- annual ryegrass mixture (Trifolium alexandrinum L. – Lolium multiflorum Lam subsp. wersterwoldicum) the effects of different plant arrangement (sowing of the two components in alternate rows or in the same row) and seeding ratios (100:0; 75:25; 50:50; 25:75; 0:100) on forage yield, nitrogen content and nitrogen fixation. The experimental design was a split-plot with four replications. The 15N isotope dilution technique was used to estimat…
Effect of defoliation management and plant arrangement on yield and N2 fixation of berseem-annual ryegrass mixture
The research was carried out in a Mediterranean semi-arid environment on berseem clover, annual ryegrass and their mixture to study the effect of defoliation management [date of first cut (FC) 85, 119, 140, 169 days after sowing] and different plant arrangements (sowing the two components in alternate rows or in the same row) on yields, N content, N2 fixation and N transfer. The experimental design was a split-plot with four replications. The 15 N isotope dilution technique was used (8 kg N ha –1 as ammonium sulphate at 10 atom% 15 N excess) to evaluate the N2 fixation. Total seasonal DM yield was, on average, significantly higher for FC119 and FC140 (approx. 12.3 t ha –1 ) than for FC85 and FC…