DOI: https://doi.org/10.5513/JCEA01/26.4.4842
Original scientific paper
The influence of the sowing ratio of common vetch and Italian ryegrass on the yield and quality of forage
2025, 26 (4) p. 956-965
Darko UHER, Dubravko MAĆEŠIĆ, Josip CUNJ, Saša PRĐUN
Abstract
Mixing grasses with legume crops is an efficient approach for improving forage production and ensuring the sustainable development of agriculture and livestock. However, the knowledge of the relationship between forage production and interspecific competition in the forage common vetch (Vicia sativa L.) and Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) mixed cropping system is insufficient. A 2-year field study was carried out to determine the dry matter yield and quality of common vetch (Vicia sativa L.) and Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) mixtures at various ratios (100:0, 80:20, 60:40, 40:60, 20:80 and 0:100%). Dry matter yield and crude protein yield, neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) of the mixtures were determined. Research has shown that the forage yield of common vetch in consociation with Italian ryegrass increased (P<0.05) by 7.9-34.9% compared to pure crops. Also, in the consociation, a higher (P<0.05) crude protein yield was achieved by 20.7-58.7% compared to pure crops. It was found that the sowing of a consociation of common vetch and Italian ryegrass had a higher dry matter yield and better quality compared to the sowing of Italian ryegrass alone. The highest dry matter yield (8.5 t/ha) and crude protein yield (1.46 t/ha) were obtained from the sowing ratio of 60% common vetch + 40% Italian ryegrass, and a lower share of NDF and ADF was also found compared to pure crops.
Keywords
sowing ratio, common vetch, Italian ryegrass, yield, quality
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