Over a period of seven years farmers participated in trials in which common vetch (Vicia sativa (V)) or chickling (Lathyrus sativus (C)) replaced the fallow in a barley (Hordeum vulgare)±fallow rotation (F) or were introduced into continuous barley cropping (B) ± giving a total of four rotations, B±F, B±B, B±V and B±C. Trials on 4 ha, 2 ha per phase of each rotation, were replicated on 6±8 farms. Some vetch and chickling crops were grazed in spring. Mean seven-year dry matter yields were 2.91 t ha 71 for B±F, 4.82 t for B±B, 5.02 t for B±C and 5.32 t for B±V; total crude protein outputs were twice as high from rotations including legumes; and the B±V rotation yielded most metabolizable energy. Realizing the bene®t, farmers started to adopt vetch. In 1991 three farmers were growing vetch on 7 ha but by 1997 174 farmers in 15 villages were growing vetch on 420 ha. Forage legumes will not, however, become more widely grown until inexpensive and ecient mechanized methods of harvesting the mature crop are available in order to avoid the high cost of hand labour. Drought and cold tolerance, early maturation and high harvest index may also enhance farmers' interest in forage legumes.
Pods and seed of all annual legume species and a soil sample were collected within a 1 m2 sample area at each of 161 sites in Morocco, and the surrounding area of approximately 0.5 ha intensively searched for all species. This paper reports findings for all genera except Medicago and Trifolium which are the subject of separate papers. Annual legumes were found at 138 sites and 15 genera and 31 species were identified. Scorpiurus sulcata, the most prolific species, was found at 117 sites, followed by Astragalus hamosus (52 sites) and Hippocrepis unisiliquosa (30 sites). The distribution of the genera was related to pH, sand and clay content, altitude and rainfall, but very little to soil nutrient status. The highest pod yield was 890 kg/ha for Scorpiurus sulcata whilst Hedysarum coronarium had the highest average pod yield of 392 kg/ha but occurred at only 3 sites. Scorpiurus had the highest average pod yield of any genus that occurred at more than just a few sites. Overall pod yields were strongly related to sand and clay content of the soil, rainfall and minimum temperature and to a lesser extent, to altitude and soil potash. The most significant finding was the widespread distribution of Scorpiurus sulcata which did not appear to have any specific requirements for soil type, soil nutrient status, altitude or climate. The need to assess Scorpiurus sulcata as a potential pasture plant for Morocco and other areas of similar climate is clearly indicated.
An ecogeographic survey was conducted in six key agricultural zones in Morocco to study the relationship between the natural distribution of medic species and soil and climatic measurements. At each of the 161 sites visited, the presence of medic species was recorded, and soil samples collected. Climatic data were obtained from published records. The influence of soil factors on the presence of medic species was more important than that of climate. With the exception of M. truncatula and M. minima, there were significant soil differences between sites where a species was present and sites where it was absent. Only 5 of the 11 medic species recorded were affected by one or more of the three climatic factors considered. Medics were found most frequently on sites where minimum temperature range was 3-7�C, pH 6.6-7.5, and with the exception of M. littoralis and M. laciniata, maximum temperature 30-35�C and rainfall 300-600 mm. M. truncatula was widespread and tolerant of a wide range of edapho-climatic conditions. It was concluded that this well studied species should be given higher priority in future evaluation programs.
A participatory on-farm research project was started at Tah village, 100 km south of Aleppo, Syria in 1984. The objective was to introduce annual medics (Medicago spp.) as a replacement for fallow in dryland wheat (Triticum durum)/fallow farming systems. About 50 farmers were directly involved in the project while an equal number were passive participants, receiving seed but no technical advice. The project did not attain its original intention of introducing a leyfarming system into Syria. The Syrian Government decided to eliminate fallow ± which was to receive medics ± in the agricultural planning for 1989±90. An array of pro®table crops such as lentil (Lens culinaris), cumin (Cuminum cyminum), sesame (Sesamum indicum) and watermelon (Citrullus lanatus), together with price supports on wheat presented formidable economic competition to the use of pasture on cultivated land. Technical constraints include insucient farm size, lack of a medic phase in every year, deep ploughing, overgrazing and uncontrolled grazing. The Tah project experience also suggests that feed production projects must include an assessment of how the feed bene®ts animals and be designed to demonstrate the economic advantages of integrating livestock and crops in dryland farming systems.
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