An Experimental Study Of Variety Screening, Sequential Cropping, Compaction And Mixed Cropping Techniques For The Cultivation Of Annual Forage Crops In Agro-Pastoral Area Of Tibet, China

Field experiments were conducted in Jangdam, in the Tibetan plateau of China, to investigate the forage production potential of oats (Avena sativa L.), forage-type triticale (xTriticosecale Wittmack) and common vetch (Vicia sativa L.). The forage productivity of oats and forage-type triticale were evaluated in comparison with local naked barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) in single and sequential cropping systems, with and without a compaction roller. The effect of mixed cropping oats with common vetch on the yield and quality of forages was also examined for different seeding ratios. Hay yield, seed germination, and crude protein content were determined for each of the cropping systems. The results revealed that oats and forage-type triticale produced a significantly higher hay yield than local naked barley in both single and sequential cropping systems. Sequential cropping significantly enhanced the total forage yield to 12.4 Mg ha(-1) for oats, compared to single cropping (8.7 Mg ha(-1)). The seed germination percentage was significantly increased in compacted soil after sowing, which also leads to higher hay yield. Mixed sowing of oats with common vetch brought a protein-rich harvest with a higher or equivalent yield than single-sown oats. The crude protein concentration of the whole forage decreased with the decrease in the seeding ratio of common vetch; the seeding ratio of 70% oat and 100% common vetch achieved a higher forage yield and protein content than the other mixtures studied. (C) 2014 Friends Science Publishers