Evaluation of Hairy Vetch (Vicia villosa Roth) in Pure and Mixed Cropping with Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) to Determine the Best Combination of Legume and Cereal for Forage Production

Problem statement: Mixed cereal-legume cropping can supply valuable forage in dry areas, as well as improving soil characteristics to approach sustainable farming systems in these regions. Approach: In order to comprise quality and quantity of produced forage and to determine the best planting ratio in a hairy vetch and barley mix cropping, a two year study was conducted during 2008 and 2009 in Zanjan Center for Research of Agricultural Science and Natural Resources, Zanjan, Iran, using these two forage crops in a completely randomized block design with five treatments and four replications. Hairy vetch and barley were single- or mix cropped at 100:0, 75:25, 50:50, 25:75 and 0:100 ratios. Results: Analysis of variance of two years data showed hay yield, absorbed N, P and K amounts and crude protein content varied among years and different planting ratio, significantly, with higher amounts in the second year. The highest dry matter yield, absorbed N, P and K and crude protein content were obtained in 50:50 planting ratio. The land equivalent ratio was more than one for all mix cropping treatments, with the highest value in 50:50 planting ratio, which also led to the highest LER in respect to crude protein. Conclusion: A 50:50 mixture of barley-hairy vetch can produce the highest dry forage yield, with a higher LER and the highest forage quality than sole cropping.