The subsurface drip irrigation technique is introduced in many agricultural areas of Morocco, particularly in the forage production systems. This study aims to determine the optimal sowing pattern of forage corn equipped with a subsurface drip irrigation system. A field experiment was carried out on sandy soil. Five rows spacing were evaluated: 40 cm, 55 cm, 70 cm, 85 cm, and 100 cm. The sowing rate was around 120000 plants ha-1. The subsurface irrigation system consisted of drip lines buried at 30 cm and separated by 100 cm with 1 L h-1 emitters and 50 cm as emitters spacing. The results revealed that the fraction of PARi and the accumulated PARi were not influenced by the sowing pattern. The highest corn dry biomass was recorded at 40 cm, 70 cm, and 85 cm row spacing. The biomass increase was mainly attributed to grain yield. The lowest irrigation water use efficiency was recorded at 100 cm row spacing (4.3 kg m-3). Concerning the forage quality, the sowing pattern did not influence the net energy for lactation and other forage quality parameters.
<span>Intensive dairy farming systems in the sandy soil of northwestern Morocco are based on three successive forage crops per year, including corn. The aim was to evaluate the productivity and the quality of different intensive crop successions based on corn in sandy soil. Three forage crops per year (winter, spring, and summer cropping seasons) were tested according to six successions: 1. fallow-corn-corn, 2. oat-corn-corn, 3. berseem-corn-corn, 4. pea/triticale-corn-corn, 5. oat-soybean-corn, and 6. berseem-corn-soybean. Each succession of crops was evaluated in two years field experiment using a randomized complete block design. Results revealed that oat-corn-corn and pea/triticale-corn-corn successions produced the highest dry biomass (46.5 t ha<sup>-1</sup> year<sup>-1</sup>). The crop succession of berseem-corn-soybean resulted in the lowest biomass (30.8 t ha<sup>-1 </sup>year<sup>-1</sup>). The highest net energy for lactation was recorded at oat-corn-corn and pea/triticale-corn-corn successions (303 10<sup>3</sup> MJ ha<sup>-1</sup> year<sup>-1</sup>). The crop successions based on one corn (oat-soybean-corn and berseem-corn-soybean) recorded the lowest net energy for lactation (195.5 10<sup>3</sup> MJ ha<sup>-1</sup> year<sup>-1</sup>). The oat-corn-corn, pea/triticale-corn-corn, and oat-soybean-corn successions recorded the highest crude protein values (3.9 t ha<sup>-1</sup> year<sup>-1</sup>). Soil organic matter and the content of soil on total N, P, and Mg were similar for the different crop successions at the end of the experimental years.</span>
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