Evaluating Intercropping Indices in Grass–Clover Mixtures and Their Impact on Maize Silage Yield

TL;DR

This study shows that mixing ryegrass and clover improves maize yield and nutrient content more than growing them separately.

Contribution

The study introduces new insights into the benefits of intercropping ryegrass and clover for enhancing maize productivity and nutrient efficiency.

Findings

Intercropping ryegrass and clover increased maize's dry matter and nutrient yields compared to pure stands.

Biological indices showed intercropping improved land use efficiency and nutrient release in maize.

The mixture had a higher nitrogen and potassium content in maize stover and total dry matter.

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted in 2019–2020 and 2020–2021 at Rogoza, Fala, and Brežice in Slovenia to examine the biological viability of a mixed intercropping system and the effect of winter catch crops (WCCs) on maize growth parameters. The experiment included Italian ryegrass (IR) in pure stands, fertilized with nitrogen (N) in spring (70 kg N ha−1), mixtures of crimson clover and red clover 50:50 (C), and intercropping between IR and C (IR+C). Neither mixture was fertilized with N in spring. We evaluated different competition indices and biological efficiency. Relative crowding coefficient (RCC) and actual yield loss (AYL) exceeded 1, indicating a benefit of IR+C intercropping. The IR in intercropping was more aggressive, as indicated by positive aggressivity (A) and a competitive ratio (CR) > 1, and it dominated over C in IR+C (that had negative A values and CR < 1). The competitive balance index (Cb) differed from zero, the relative yield total (RYT) was 2.24, the land equivalent coefficient (LEC) exceeded 0.25, the area–time equivalent ratio (ATER) exceeded 1, and land use efficiency (LUE) exceeded 100%. IR+C exhibited the highest total aboveground dry matter yield of maize (29.22 t ha−1), the highest nitrogen content in dry matter grain yield of maize (206.35 kg ha−1), the highest nitrogen and potassium content in maize stover (105.7 and 105.7 kg ha−1, respectively), and the highest nitrogen and potassium content in the total aboveground dry matter of maize (312 and 267.3 kg ha−1, respectively). The C/N ratio in dry matter yield of IR was 45.35, and in IR+C it was 33.43, which means that the mixture had a positive effect on nutrient release in maize. The ryegrass–clover mixture, according to the calculated biological indices, had advantages over pure stands and had a positive effect on maize yield.