Evaluation of Yield Quantity and Quality of Forage Corn and Sweet Basil Affected by Biological, Chemical and Integrated Nitrogen Fertilizers in Intercropping

Abstract

In order to evaluate yield and some qualitative traits of forage corn and sweet basil under nitrogen fertilizers (biological, chemical and integrated) in additive intercropping a field experiment was carried out in the Experimental Farm Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Lorestan University during 2014-2015 growing seasons. The treatments were arranged in a factorial experiment based on Randomized Complete Blocks Design (RCBD) with three replications. Experimental treatments were 100% chemical fertilizer (N), bio-fertilizer (nitroxin), integration of bio-fertilizer + 50% chemical fertilizer and control and different intercropping systems consisted of sole cropping corn and sweet basil and the additive intercropping of corn + 25% sweet basil, corn + 50% sweet basil, corn + 75% sweet basil and corn + 100% sweet basil. The results showed that integration of bio-fertilizer + 50% chemical fertilizer had the highest protein of forage (9.43%), but in terms of yield and yield components of forage corn, chemical fertilizer was better to the other treatments. The highest fresh and dry leaf weight, fresh and dry forage yield and forage crude Protein were obtained from sole cropping pattern of corn. Sole cropping pattern of sweet basil with integration of bio-fertilizer + 50% chemical fertilizer in the second year had the highest fresh and dry yield. The highest LER (1.566) belonged to corn + 100% sweet basil with bio-fertilizer. The results showed that using the integration of bio-fertilizer + 50% chemical fertilizer could be considered as a way to reduce the consumption of chemical fertilizers for sustainable agriculture.

Keywords

• Additive Intercropping
• Forage Corn
• Fresh Forage Yield
• Nitrogen
• Nitroxin