Effect of Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and Persian Clover (Trifolium respinatum L.) Intercropping on Forage Quantity

For optimize of cropping rate and pattern in a mixture of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and persian clover (Trifolium respinatum L.) an experiment was arranged in split plot with randomized complete block design and three replications. This experiment was conducted on research farm of the Faculty of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad in 2013-14. The pattern of sowing considered in five levels (row intercropping 1:1 (M1), row intercropping 2:2 (M2), strip intercropping 3:3 (M3), strip intercropping 4:4 (M4) and mixed cropping (M5)) in main plots and the cropping rate were in five levels (barley %100: %50 clover (R5), barley %100: %25 clover (R4), barley %50: %50 clover (R3),with pure barley (R2) and pure clover (R1)) in subplots. ). Results showed that the effect of cropping rate and pattern on forage dry matter (FDM) and protein yield (PY) were significant (P<0.01). The highest levels of forage dry matter were obtained in pure barley R2 (14731 kg/ha) and mixed cropping M5 (12857.9 kg/ha), respectively. The highest protein yield were also obtained in R2 (1962.2 Kg/ha) and M5 (1584.38 Kg/ha). The effect of sowing pattern on land equivalent ratio (LER) was not significant but the effect of cropping rate was significant (P <0.01). The highest levels of LER were obtained in R5 (1.28) and M4 (1.23), respectively. The effect of sowing rate and pattern on relative crowding coefficient (RCC or K) was not significant but the highest level of K was obtained in R4 (35.33) and the lowest was in R5 (-23.24). The effect of sowing rate and pattern on aggressivity (A) was significant, and the clover negative value of aggressivity (A) showed that the clover was recessive in intercrop. Economic indices such as actual yield loss (AYL) and intercropping advantage index (IA) showed that barley-clover intercropping was better than sole culture, and the highest IA was obtained in R4 (7,262,833 Rials) and M4 (4974840 Rials).