Evaluation of Organic and Nitrogen Fertilizers Application on Quality of Forage of Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare L.) and Sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia Scop.) under Intercropping System

Document Type : Scientific - Research

Authors

• Habibollah Yousefyan Ghahfarokhi ¹
• Mohammad ali Esmaeili ²
• Abdolrazagh Danesh Shahraki ³
• Mahdi Ghajar Sepanlu ⁴

¹ Sari Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University, Sari, Iran.

² Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Crop Sciences, Sari Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University

³ Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Shahrekord University, Shahrekord, Iran.

⁴ Department of Soil Science, Sari Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University, Sari, Iran.

10.22067/jag.v13i3.80079

Abstract

Introduction
Intercropping of medicinal plants with forages is an approach to improve livestock health. In fact, intercropping is more efficient than monocropping systems because of superior yield due to better absorption of resources. Forage with a high nutritive value can be produced using intercropping systems along with manure fertilizer, and more recovery nutrients can be observed in the multiple cropping systems than single cropping systems. Sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia Scop.) is an important forage legume, which has been cultivated for hundreds of years in many parts of the world, especially Asia, Europe, and North America. There is a renewed interest in sainfoin because of its use in animal diets and key nutritional properties such as high nutritive value and high forage palatability. The medicinal herbs are considered as natural products, with growth-promoting and antioxidant effects, and consequently, consumers may be using them for livestock feeds. Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.) is an annual medicinal and aromatic plant belonging to the Apiaceae (Umbelliferaceae) family and is native to the Mediterranean area. As the quantity and quality of forage production and the importance of medicinal plants in nutrition, the goal of the study was to investigate the methods of intercropping systems on forage quality of sainfoin and fennel under cow manure and urea fertilizer treatments.
Materials and Methods
In order to investigate the effects of fertilizer sources and intercropping ratio, a split-plot experiment was conducted as a randomized complete block design with three replications at Shahrekord University research farm during 2015 and 2016. Five fertilizer sources (chemical fertilizer, chemical + manure fertilizer (1: 1), (2:1), (1:2) and manure fertilizer) and sole cropping of fennel (F), and sole cropping of sainfoin (S), and three intercropping ratio (F: S 3:1, 1:1 and 1: 3) were also considered. The N fertilizer treatments and intercropping systems were arranged in main and sub-plots, respectively.Forage quality parameters include Crude Protein (CP), Crude Fiber (CF), Dry Matter Digestible (DMD), Water-Soluble Carbohydrate (WSC), Neutral Detergent Fiber (NDF), Acid Detergent Fiber (ADF), Ash (ASH), and Metabolism Energy (ME) were measured using standard procedures.
Results and Discussion
The results showed that forage quality traits of sainfoin and fennel were significantly affected by N fertilizer and mixed crop patterns. The highest crude protein was related to sole cropping of fennel and higher ratios of chemical fertilizer in the first year, and intercropping and higher ratios of manure in the second year. The highest dry matter digestibility has obtained for the monocropping of sainfoin with integrated fertilizer. Crude fiber and acid detergent fiber decreased in higher ratios of sainfoin. Metabolism energy was higher under chemical fertilizer in the first year and under manure in the second year, as well as the ash under manure, and both were higher in monocropping of fennel. Previous studies conducted a berseem clover and basil intercropping system and reported that all of the forage quality traits of berseem clover, including DMD, CP, WSC, NDF, ADF, and ASH were improved in the additive intercropping system as a legume–basil mixture. They demonstrated that interactions between intercropped plants played an important role in the quality improvement of the forage due to better light interception.
Conclussion
In general, our findings showed that N fertilizer sources and intercropping systems affected the forage quality of the fennel and sainfoin. We suggest 50 % fennel + 50 % sainfoin with 50 % manure + 50 % urea fertilizer.

Keywords

• Crude protein percentage
• Acid detergent fiber
• Dry matter digestible

20.1001.1.20087713.1400.13.3.12.5

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