Acta Agriculturae Slovenica (Apr 2018)
Changes in dry matter, protein percentage and organic matter of soybean-oat and groundnut-oat intercropping in different growth stages in Jilin province, China
Abstract
One of the most important and sustainable cropping practice is intercropping. The study was conducted under field conditions in the arid Horqine sandy land in Baicheng District, Jilin Province, Northern China in 2011. A randomized complete block design with four replications was used. Treatments comprised different mono cropping and intercropping patterns, TO: sole cropping of oat, TOS-O: oat in the intercropping of oat and soybean, TOG-O: oat in the intercropping of oat and groundnut, TS: sole cropping of soybean, TOS-S: soybean in intercropping of oat and soybean, TG: sole cropping of groundnut, TOG-G: groundnut in the intercropping of oat and groundnut. In mono-cropping systems, oat mono-cropping obtained the highest dry matter and nitrogen accumulation in all growth stages. The maximum protein percentage in all stages except for ripening stage, were for groundnut mono-cropping. Although, the maximum organic matter in ripening stage was achieved in mono-cropping of soybean, the highest one in other stages was related to groundnut mono-cropping. In intercropping patterns, oat in oat-groundnut obtained the highest dry matter in all stages. The highest value of protein percentage and organic matter in heading stage, grain filling stage, and grain dough stage was achieved in groundnut in oat-groundnut intercropping. Furthermore, the maximum value of protein percentage and organic matter in booting stage and ripening stage was related to soybean in oat-soybean intercropping. The results of this study clearly indicate that intercropping oat and groundnut affects the growth rate of the individual species in mixtures as well as the dry matter yield and nitrogen accumulation. This information can help in the adaptation of oat- intercrops for increased forage production in new cropping systems.
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