Effect of intercropping oats (Avena sativa L.) With alfalfa (medicago Sativa) on dry matter yield, nutritive value, in vitro ruminal Fermentation kinetics and silage quality

Abstract

There is limited information on planting density for oats and alfalfa when intercropped to achieve a mixture of high nutritional quality for use as animal feed. A field experiment was carried out to study the effect of seeding ratio on yield components (TDM and seed yield), chemical composition (CP, OM, NDF, ADF, ADL, and Ash), total gas, CH4 and SCFA, silage (physical and chemical properties), and soil chemical composition (PH, OC, OM, EC, CEC, TN, K, and P). The experiment was conducted at the Adami Tulu Agricultural Research Center under irrigation conditions during February–June 2022/2023 in Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia. Treatments consisted of one adapted oats (bate) variety and one alfalfa (magna 788) variety in an additive design at three plant densities (25%, 50%, and 75% of their recommended sole seed rates of 80 and 15 kg per hectare for oats and alfalfa, respectively) and the recommended 100% plant density of sole oats and sole alfalfa.