PRODUCTIVITY OF OAT (Avena sativa L.)-BERSEEM (Trifolium alexandrinum L.) FORAGE MIXTURE IN IRRIGATED PLAIN OF PAKISTAN

To assess the productivity of oat-berseem mixture in irrigated Indus plain of Pakistan, oat at four seeding rates (100, 75, 50, and 25%) was intercropped with berseem. The mixed seeded crop was harvested at late stem elongation (LSE), early booting (EB) and early heading (EH) stage of oat. First cut mixture herbage dry matter (DM) yield was lower than oat monoculture. Berseem substantially recovered from suppression by oat prior to first cut. After two cuts, mixtures herbage DM and crude protein (CP) yields were higher when first cut was taken at EH stage. On an average, first cut CP concentrations in mixtures were 11.25 g kg(-1) DM which was significantly higher as compared to oat monoculture. After two cuts, mixture with 25% oat ratio produced 6% higher CP yield than sole berseem. Fiber concentrations in mixtures were lower than sole oat in first cut while higher than sole berseem in re-growth cut. Thus mixing of oat seeding ratio as low as 25% combined with harvesting at EH cutting stage was proved to be more productive in terms of forage yield and quality.