EFFECT OF BED PLANTING ON THE QUANTITY AND QUALITY OF HAY IN DIFFERENT MIXING RATIOS OF VETCH AND BARLEY IN THE NORTH OF IRAN.

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of bed planting on the quantity and quality of forage yield of vetch and barley in different crop mixing ratios. The field experiment was conducted in 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 on the paddy fields of the North of Iran (Rasht, Guilan Province) as a factorial analysis in randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. The experimental treatments included bed planting at 2 levels (1. rice bran with bed planting and 2. without bed planting as control) and crop mixing at 6 levels (1. Sole vetch, 2. Sole barley, 3. 20% vetch to 80% of barley, 4. 40% vetch to 60% of barley, 5. 60% vetch to 40 % of barley, 6.25% vetch to75% barley as replacement ratio of crop mixing). The recorded data were the followings: forage yield, crude protein yield and quality traits like crude protein (CP), dry matter digestibility (DMD), and acid detergent fiber (ADF), neutral detergent fiber (NDF). Mixed cropping indices were calculated by means of land equivalent ratio (LER) and Money advantages index (MAI). Results showed that rice bran with bed planting affects some quantity and quality traits of forage. Among mixing ratios, planting of 40% barley and 60% additive vetch had highest forage yield. Additive mixing ratios +had the highest crude protein yield among mixing ratios. According to the results, in the North of Iran the highest LER and forage yield was obtained from rice bran with bed planting and 40% additive of vetch to barley. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]