Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

STUDY OF YIELD AND AGRONOMIC TRAITS OF FORAGE CROPS IN IRRIGATION CONDITION OF KHORRAMABAD REGION, IRAN

Behrouz Nasiri and Hadis Zaremanesh

Abstract

Rapid population growth and increasing demand for livestock products is causing the loss of grasslands to provide forage. Increase in the forage crops can be effective to prevent degradation of pastures. This study was conducted as RCBD with four replications in Kkhorramabad Agriculture Garden. Five graze crops Grasspea, Alfalfa, Sainfoin, Bitter vetch and Common vetch were selected. The results showed that the species of Lathyrus sativus, Vicia spp and Vicia ervillia had the highest but the species of sand Onobrychis vicifollia had the lowest. Lathyrus had maximum fresh and dry matter yield, plant height, stem and leaf dry matter, and absorbed PAR(22130kg/ha, 3991kg/ha, 70.63cm, 2028kg/ha, 1962kg/ha, and 96.91% respectively),but sainfoin had minimum of them (1836kg/ha, 506.4kg/ha, 24.08cm , 241.9kg/ ha, 264.6kg/ha, and64.89% respectively). Fresh matter yield had significant positive correlation (a=0.01) with dry matter yield, stem and leaf dry matter, PAR absorbtion and plant height. According to this results Lathyrus is recommended for this region.