Cereal clover bi-cropping for sustainable forage production in the Himalayan region

Abstract

We studied the integration of white clover (Trifolium repens) with nitrogen management practices in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) - maize (Zea mays L.) cropping sequence to find optimum level of N and to enhance forage production. This experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design with three replications comprising of 12 treatments viz., (T1) wheat-maize; (T2) white clover + wheat -maize (0 N); (T3) white clover (sole); and (T4 to T12) 50, 75 and 100 % of recommended N to wheat, maize or both. Application of 100 % N to white clover + wheat - maize (bi-cropping) recorded the highest crude protein in white clover. Wheat equivalent yield (WEY) was computed by multiplying the white clover and maize yields with their respective per unit price to compare the system productivity. The system productivity was found 2.67 (56.92 %) and 5.93 t/ha (315.42 %) higher in 100 % N application to bi-cropping over wheat-maize (0 N) and sole white clover, respectively. Highest net returns (US $ 188.5 and 224.0/ha at farmers’ field and research farm, respectively) were also recorded in the same bi-cropping treatment. Bi-cropping along with N application resulted in higher Land equivalent ratio (LER) (18.01–57.65%) over sole cropping. The treatment and treatment x environment (TTE) bi-plot also explained 99.84, 98.70 and 99.63 % of treatment and treatment × environment variation for WEY, Benefit: Cost Ratio (BCR) and LER, respectively. Soil fertility improved significantly in sole white clover and bi-cropping treatments with N application. However, when upto 75 % N of recommended dose of fertilizers (RDF) was applied to bi-cropping system resulted in higher WEY, BCR and LER, which were at par with 100 % N. Thus, cereal-clover bi-cropping system along with 75 % N of RDF can be recommended for sustainable forage and food production; and better soil health in temperate, sub-temperate climatic regions of the world.