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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 75(1)

Yield and nutritional quality of intercropped forages for organic production in a hot-summer Mediterranean oak grassland ecosystem

Javier Plaza https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8908-1606 A * , Marco Criado https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5509-7573 B , M. Remedios Morales-Corts https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6736-5854 C , Rodrigo Pérez-Sánchez https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5170-4698 C , M. Ángeles Gómez-Sánchez https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9127-495X C , Beatriz Vázquez-de-Aldana https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6549-3545 D , Iñigo Zabalgogeazcoa https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9524-7799 D and Carlos Palacios https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5876-6226 A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Animal Production Group, Faculty of Environmental and Agricultural Sciences, University of Salamanca, Avenida Filiberto Villalobos 119, Salamanca 37007, Spain.

B Edaphology Group, Faculty of Environmental and Agricultural Sciences, University of Salamanca, Avenida Filiberto Villalobos 119, Salamanca 37007, Spain.

C Plant Production Group, Faculty of Environmental and Agricultural Sciences, University of Salamanca, Avenida Filiberto Villalobos 119, Salamanca 37007, Spain.

D Institute of Natural Resources and Agrobiology of Salamanca (IRNASA-CSIC), Cordel de Merinas 40-52, Salamanca 37008, Spain.

* Correspondence to: pmjavier@usal.es

Handling Editor: Christian Huyghe

Crop & Pasture Science 75, CP23172 https://doi.org/10.1071/CP23172
Submitted: 15 June 2023  Accepted: 15 December 2023  Published: 15 January 2024

© 2024 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing

Abstract

Context

Forage cultivation plays a pivotal role in sustaining ruminants in resource-limited ecosystems such as the hot-summer Mediterranean agroforestry systems of the Iberian Peninsula comprising oak trees (Quercus spp.) and grassland species. Intercropping techniques can enhance forage yields and nutritional quality.

Aims

This study assessed the yield and nutritional quality of organic forage mixtures in an Iberian oak grassland ecosystem.

Methods

Six forage associations were assessed over two growing seasons: vetch (Vicia sativa L.)–triticale (Triticum × Secale), vetch–rye (Secale cereale), vetch–oat (Avena sativa), pea (Pisum sativum L.)–triticale, pea–rye, and pea–oat. The data were analysed using a multivariate procedure.

Key results

Differences in forage composition influenced nutritional quality but not yield. Vetch-based associations exhibited higher crude protein, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, magnesium, manganese and sulfur contents, along with lower proportions of neutral-detergent fibre and ether extract. The vetch–oat mixture emerged as the highest quality association. Interannual variations in precipitation and temperature caused differences in forage yield, with greater values observed in 2020 than in 2019. Forage associations also had significantly higher nutritional quality in 2020 (increased protein and mineral content, and decreased neutral detergent fibre and lignin).

Conclusions

All forages demonstrated satisfactory performance and quality, even in the drier conditions of 2019, suggesting high resilience and adaptability to hot-summer Mediterranean oak grassland ecosystems.

Implications

The findings of this study are relevant for organic farmers in resource-limited ecosystems. This information empowers them to select the most suitable forage species based on the specific agroclimatic conditions of each growing season.

Keywords: cereals, forages, hot-summer Mediterranean oak grassland ecosystem, intercropping, legumes, limiting edaphoclimatic conditions, nutritional quality, organic production.

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