Study the Effects of Intercropping Fodder Sorghum with Pearl Millet at Different Row Proportions and Plant Densities

To study the effects of intercropping fodder sorghum with pearl millet at different row proportions and plant densities, an experiment was conducted at the research farm of University of Tehran in 2005. The experimental design was a split plot with three replications. Three different densities of 200000, 270000 and 340000 plants per hectare were as main factor and seven different planting proportions of pure stand of sorghum, pure stand of pearl millet, 75% sorghum + 25% millet, 75% millet + 25% sorghum, 50% sorghum + 50% millet, 100% sorghum + 20% millet and finally 100% millet + 20% sorghum constituted the sub-factor. Taking into consideration the fodder yield on a dry weight basis, the pure stand of sorghum had the highest fodder yield in the first harvest, whereas during the second harvest the highest fodder dry weight obtained from pure stand of pearl millet. Evaluation of the two harvests together revealed that the highest fodder dry yield obtained from pure stand of pearl millet. In the first harvest, the highest sorghum fodder yield obtained in a combination of 75% millet + 25% sorghum and the highest pearl millet fodder yield resulted in a combination of 75% sorghum + 25% millet. However, in the second harvest a similar fodder yield for each of sorghum and pearl millet obtained in the combination of 75% sorghum + 25% millet. Evaluation of land equivalent ratio (LER) indicated that the highest ratio (LER=1.43) belonged to the combination of 75% millet + 25% sorghum.