Evaluation of cereal-legume intercropped forages for smallholder dairy production in Zimbabwe

摘要

AstudywasconductedatHendersonResearchStationinMazoe,Zimbabwetoassesstheestablishment,persistence,yieldandnutritivequalityofcerealandleylegumessolecropsandcereal-legumeintercropsonsandyandclaysoils.Fourcereals,maizeandthreesorghumvarieties;Jumbo,Pan888andSugargraze,andfivelegumevarietiesVignaunguiculata,(Cowpea)Lablabpupureus(Lablab),Crotolariajuncea(Sunnhemp),Glycinemax(Soyabean)andLupinusalbus(Lupin)wereused.A2x4x5factorialexperimentinasplit-splitplotdesignwithsoiltypeasthemainplotfactor,cerealasthesub-plotfactorandlegumeassub-sub-plotfactorwasused.Totalherbageyieldsweresignificantlyhigherontheclaythansandysoil,withyieldrangingfrom8.0to11.0t/haDrymatter(DM)and1.0to5.6t/haDM,respectively.Onintercropslegumescontributed14-69%ofthetotalherbageyieldforsandysoils(P0.05).Onclaysoil,legumecontributionwaslowrangingfrom3-30%.Thedrymatteryieldforcerealsgrownonthesandysoilwas22-34%ofclaysoilyields.Cowpea,lablabandsunnhempsandysoilyieldsrangedfrom44-60%oftheclaysoilyield.Soybeanperformedpoorlyonthesandysoilwhilstlupindidsoinbothsites.SandysoilforagetendedtohavesignificantlyhigherDM,Watersolublecarbohydrate(WSC)andfibrecontentsandlowCrudeprotein(CP)contentsthanthosegrownonclaysoil.MaizeandJumbohadhigheryieldsthanPan888andSugargraze(P0.05).Cowpea,lablabandsunnhemphadhigheryieldsthanlupinandsoybean(P0.05).Intercroppingofcerealsandlegumesiscommendablefortheincreaseofnutrientqualityparticularlythecrudeproteincontentofcerealsonclaysoils.However,thematchinghastobethoroughlydonetoavoidmixingforagesthatmayhindereachotherfromtheaccessofnutrients,chieflysunlight.Therefore,farmersarerecommendedtousecereal-legumeintercropsespeciallymaizeorsorghumandcowpeaandorlablabtoenhancedryseasonfeedavailability.