Selection of Grain Legumes Species for Intercropping System with Maize - Polish Experience

摘要

Intercropping has been practised for 10 thousand years and is common in many parts of the world.Purpose of this sowing method was to acquire of food, fibre and other products (Francis 1989).Intercropping is typical for tropical regions with high amount of precipitation, high temperature and a long vegetation period. In temperate climate these sowing methods are troublesome because ofmechanization in sowing, fertilization and harvesting (Anil et al. 1998). Polish farmers have widely been using intercrops of cereals species (cereals spring mixtures) quite often with legumes. Cereals mixtures harvested for forage occupied approximately1 million ha. In the last decades maize became a main forage crop in our country and the area of its cultivation has steadily increased. At the same time, however, grain legumes production decreased. It constitutes nowonly 2% of total area of arable land. A system of intercropping maize with different legumes canimprove quality of forage and has positive effects on the environment. Selection of species for these sowing methods must focus on development synchronism. Plants should reach similar growing stage during harvesting and as well as dry matter content. Intercropping of maize with different legumes has to be tested in Polish conditions.