Optimization of the Dry Matter Production Based on the Percentage Participation of Italian Ryegrass in Mixtures with Crimson Clover

Abstract

Annual forage mixtures are forage crops consisting of forage grasses (e.g. Italian ryegrass etc.) and annual clovers (e.g. Berseem clover, Crimson clover etc.) or mixtures of spring or autumn vetch with grain cereal (e.g. oats, barley, etc.) that are known as spring or autumn mash. The goal of this paper is to find the functional dependency of the average dry matter production of the Italian ryegrass (in the 67th phenophase) and Crimson clover mixture based on their different percentage participation in order to obtain the technical optimum in two variant of fertilization (N0P0K0 and N100P50K50). For this, we studied Italian ryegrass (I.r.) and Crimson clover (C.c.), both in pure and mixed culture, in the following proportions: I.r.75%+C.c.25%, I.r.50%+C.c.50%, I.r.25%+C.c.75%. In this paper we take in consideration the average dry matter production obtained in the experimental years 2007 – 2011 that allow us to have a few conclusions on the Italian ryegrass production capacity but also about the adaptation capacity of Crimson clover in Banat plain conditions. Results show that in the fertilized variant, there is an increasing of the percentage participation of Italian ryegrass in mixtures for which the maximum of dry matter production is realized than in the case of unfertilized variant, which shows that Italian ryegrass has a better response to chemical fertilizers than Crimson clover.