MIXED CROPS OF CEREALS AND BROAD BEANS FOR GRAIN FORAGE

Abstract

Productivity and nutritive value of single-species and mixed crops of cereals and broad beans were analyzed. Investigations were carried out in 2011-2014 using the facilities of the Siberian Research Institute of Fodder Crops located in the northern forest-steppe zone of Western Siberia. The indices of competitive ability and biological effectiveness of annual grass-legume mixtures were determined depending on a ratio of components. It has been revealed that the mixtures yield to single-species crops in productivity by 13-15%, but are more plastic to weather conditions. It has been established that the optimal ratio of cereal and legume components is a mixture of 70: 40% from the total seed rate. The best crops for mixtures are oats and barley; the use of wheat reduces yields by 48-72% because it is suppressed by broad beans. Broad beans possessing high biological productivity potential are characterized by wide fluctuations in yields. In dry years, up to 90% of the produce was derived from the cereal component, the part of beans accounted for only 10%. In wet years, the proportion of beans was up to 50-70% of the yield, and only 25% was cereals. The basic indicator of effectiveness of mixed crops is digestible protein availability per 1 fodder unit and collection of fodder units. The mixtures exceed single-species crops of oats and barley in digestible protein availability by 41-43%. The zootechnic rate is achieved, when the yield of the mixture contains 12% of legume component.