Effect of nitrogen application and planting pattern of faba bean (Vicia faba) and barley (Hordeum vulgare) on some quantity and quality traits of forage

In order to study the effect of planting pattern and nitrogen application on barley and faba bean yield and quality of forage in intercropping, an experiment was conducted on farm of agricultural and natural resources faculty of Gonbad Kavous University as factorial based on RCBD with three replications in 2012-2013. Planting pattern consisted of five levels, i.e. sole barley, intercropping of barley with faba bean at 75:25, 50:50, 25:75 rations and sole faba bean and nitrogen fertilizer factor was comprised of four levels of 0, 25, 50 and 75 Kg N ha-1. The results showed that effect of planting pattern on forage yield, height, percentage of dry matter digestibility, crude protein and acid detergent fiber at 1% probability level were significant. Nitrogen fertilizer had additive effect on forage yield, height, percentage of dry matter digestibility and crude protein. Sole barley produced the highest yield with13.38 ton ha-1 and sole faba bean produced the lowest forage yield with 7.4 ton ha-1. With increasing of faba bean in intercropping treatments, total yield decreased compared to sole barley. The highest and lowest crude protein percentage with 25.37 and 8.81 and dry matter digestibility with 69.96 and 58.96 percent was obtained from sole faba bean and sole barley, respectively. Although forage yield in sole crop of barley was high but its quality was low.