Effect of intercropping wheat with forage legumes on wheat production and ground cover

Abstract

The use of winter legumes in southern Brazil is hindered by the slow growth of these species during establishment exposing soil surface to erosion. Introduction of these species along with spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) was studied as a means of increasing ground cover during their initial establishment period, without reducing wheat grain yield. Two experiments were conducted in nearby areas, one in each year. Birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.), red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) cultivar Quiñequelli, white clover (T. repens L.), and arrowleaf clover (T. vesiculosum Savi) did not reduce cereal yield in either year. Wheat yield was reduced by intercropped red clover cultivar Kenland and by subclover (T. subterraneum L.) in the first year. No grain yield differences due to intercropping with any legume were detected in the second year, when rainfall was below normal. Intercropping with wheat showed to be a practical alternative to enhance ground cover at establishing forage legumes.Index terms: Triticum aestivum, feed crops, soil, plant cover, yield components.Efeito do consórcio entre trigo e leguminosas forrageiras na produção de trigo e na cobertura de solo A consorciação com trigo mostrou-se como uma alternativa prática para aumentar a cobertura de solo no estabelecimento de leguminosas forrageiras.Termos para indexação: Triticum aestivum, plantas forrageiras, solo, cobertura vegetal, componentes do rendimento.

Potential use of forage-legume intercropping technologies to adapt to climate-change impacts on mixed crop-livestock systems in Africa: a review

“…Such cover crops play positive roles by reducing the impact of rainfall on soil erosion during heavy rain events, and of wind erosion (Birteeb et al 2011). Similarly Murphy and Cocucci (1999) and Tomm and Foster (2000) observed similar benefit in studies in Oregon and Brazil, respectively where a reduction in soil loss of up to 50% (Dovel et al 1999;Tomm and Foster 2001) was reported under intercropping legumes with grain crops compared to grain crop alone. Similar findings have been reported by Birteeb et al (2011) and Bryan et al (2011).…”

“…In particular, protein yield of legume intercrops is reported to be higher than that of sole crops (ILCA 1987). Increases in CP content of 11-51% have been reported for various intercropping systems compared with sole crops (Tomm and Foster 2001;Lithourgidis et al 2011). The CP contents of maize + lablab, sorghum + lablab and wheat + lablab were reported to be 4.2, 3.9 and 2.4 times higher than their sole stands (Mpairwe et al 2002), respectively.…”

“…This leads to an increase in soil organic matter relative to sole crops, and increases water infiltration and air circulation (Lupwayi 2011), thus improving soil water-holding capacity (Dovel et al 1995;Murphy and Cocucci 1999;Samuel and Mesfin 2003). For example, 62% ground cover has been achieved by clover species (Tomm and Foster 2001) and 53.2% by Lablab purpureus and Centrosema pubescens (Birteeb et al 2011). Such cover crops play positive roles by reducing the impact of rainfall on soil erosion during heavy rain events, and of wind erosion (Birteeb et al 2011).…”

Effect of cereals + pea intercropping on spike index of spring wheat, triticale, oat and pods index of pea

“…In study of Kadţiulienė et al (2011) found that grain yield was higher in intercrops depends of environmental condition, and that grain yield was stable in intercrops pea/cereal. The stable grain yield in wheat intercrop with forage legumes is stable (Tomm and Foster, 2001).…”

“…At least of 62% ground cover can be expected eight weeks after sowing. The grain yield in wheat intercrop with forage legumes is stable (Tomm and Foster, 2001). The investigation of triticale in intercropping with forage crops showed positive effect to grain quality (Lestingi et al, 2010;Nefir and Tabără, 2011).…”