Yield comparison of mono-cropping and intercropping of legumes and grasses with different rates of seed under rainfed conditions

This experiment was carried out in order to study the effects of intercropping and mono-cropping of legumes and grasses on quantitative yield of forage. The study was conducted in a factorial experiment with three replications at Saral Research Station of Kurdistan province during five years (1999-2003). In this research, the effects of the cropping type including mono-cropping of Alfalfa, Bromus, and Agropyron as well as intercropping of Alfalfa+Bromus, and Alfalfa+Agropyron with three seed densities of 569, 853 and 1138 seeds were investigated. According to the results, the forage yield of the fourth and fifth years were affected by cropping type and showed significant differences at 1% level of probability. Results showed that mono-cropping of alfalfa with 2706 & 2199 kg per hectare, in the fourth and fifth years, respectively, showed superiority to other cropping types. In the second year of growth, seed density and the interaction effect between seed density and cropping type affected this trait and the highest yield (1049 Kg per hectare) was obtained in high density. Alfalfa, under mono-cropping and high seed density conditions, was superior to other species. The results of combined analysis showed that mono-cropping of Alfalfa with an average forage yield of 1744 Kg per hectare was superior to other cropping types and the highest yield was obtained in the fourth year of growth (1769 Kg per hectare).