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Three cereals viz. oats (Avena sativa L.), barley (Hordeum vulgare) and wheat (Triticum aestivum) were evaluated in pure stands as well as in mixtures of 50: 50 ratios with common vetch (Vicia sativa L.) under rainfed conditions of Pothowar to address the problem of nutritious green fodder for livestock. The experiment was sown during second week of October, 2007 in a randomized complete block design at Koont Research Farm, Pir Mehr Ali Shah-Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan. The results revealed that oatsvetch mixture performed better at all growth stages under rainfed conditions of Pothowar in terms of green and dry matter yields. By this mixture, 35.06 tons per hectare green fodder and 9.29 ton per hectare dry matter yield was obtained which was 17 and 19 percent higher than oats pure stand, respectively. Similarly, it was calculated that overall oats-vetch mixture yielded 63 and 78 percent higher dry matter than barley-vetch and wheat-vetch, respectively. So oats-vetch mixture can be recommended for higher biomass under rainfed conditions of Pothowar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Performance of monoculture and mixed cropping of non-traditional legumes with oats cereal was evaluated at National Agricultural Research Centre, Islamabad, Pakistan under rainfed conditions of Pothowar. Three nontraditional winter legumes i.e. common vetch (Vicia sativa L.), medics (Medicago polymorpha L.) and senji (Melilotus indica L.) were sown during first week of November, 2007 at recommended seed rates in pure stands and ratio of 50:50 of each in mixed cropping with oats (Avena sativa L.). The experiment was laid out in RCBD with three replications and plot size was 6 x 3 m2. Nitrogen fertilizer @ 80 kg and phosphorus @ 57 kg per hectare were incorporated in soil at the time of seedbed preparation. The results revealed that oats - vetch mixture produced 16 and 18 percent higher green fodder yield compared with oats - medics and oats - senji mixtures, respectively. In pure stands maximum green fodder yield was obtained from oats crop which was 51, 66 and 80 percent higher than vetch, medics and senji legumes, respectively. This increase in green fodder yield of oats cereal is the result of more efficient utilization of natural resources by Poaceae family plants than the Fabaceae family producing more tillers, number of leaves and plant height. The analysis of soil after final harvest showed more organic matter in vetch plots followed by oats - vetch mixture and lowest in pure oats crop. This showed opposite response of plants belonging to Poaceae and Fabaceae families indicating the need of mixed cropping of these plants to harvest the higher biomass and maintain soil fertility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]