Abstract
Intercropping of most annual legumes with winter cereals is a very common practice for forage production in many countries. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of intercropping cereals with forage legumes on silage yield and protein content. The completely randomized design was applied with three replications and the experiment was established in the farm of the Western Macedonia University in Florina. Particularly, common vetch, forage pea and faba beans were used as forage legumes, and barley, bread wheat and triticale were used as cereals, which were grown individually as well as intercropped with each other in mixed rows in a sowing ratio 65:35. The plots consisted of seven rows five meters long of which the five inner were harvested. A total of 45 experimental plots was installed. The field was fertilized only with base fertilization. All the cultural practices used by farmers were applied. The plants were harvested when the legumes were at the end of the flowering period and were dried naturally for the formation of hay. The plants were separated by hand to determine the weight of fresh matter for each species. Samples of 100 g of hay from each experimental plot were used to calculate the dry matter and to determine the total N using the Kjeldahl method and subsequently the total protein content. In most cases differences were found between the treatments concerning the dry matter and the protein content giving a better proportion in the mixtures.
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