Oilseed radish in single- and multi-crop sowings with poaceous crops

Abstract

The results of field and laboratory research for 2015–2017 are presented and analyzed on the cultivation of traditional and uncommon poaceous crops. Recognized varieties of barley, oats, and millet were studied in single-crop sowings and intercropped with a high-protein cabbage crop – oilseed radish. The research was conducted on meadow chernozem mealy-carbonate soil in the forest-steppe zone of Trans-Baikal Territory. Agricultural technology used for fodder crop cultivation was common for this area. The objects of the research were the following varieties: barley Anna, oats Metis, millet Bystroe, oilseed radish Tambovchanka. The experimental work was carried out in accordance with the generally accepted guidelines for field experiments. Poaceous crops and oilseed radish were assessed in terms of their adaptability to growing conditions and their economically valuable characteristics that ensure sustainable production of high-energy feed. In multi-crop agrocenoses of poaceous crops and oilseed radish, the yield increased and the quality of feed raw material improved. The best results of multi-crop sowings were achieved by oats and millet intercropped with oilseed radish. The yield of green mass was 38.8-39.7 t/ha, dry matter content – 4.88-4.90 t/ha, digestible protein – 810820 kg/ha, and gross energy – 46.3-52.2 GJ/ha with availability of digestible protein – 180-186 g per one feed unit. Multi-crop sowings of oats and millet with radish oilseed are more productive than single-crop poaceous agrocenoses in feed units by 1.5-1.7 times, digestible protein by 2.9-3.3 times, gross energy by 1.2-1.6 times, with 10.5-10.7 MJ of exchangeable energy in one kilogram of dry matter.