BROMEGRASS AND ALFALFA ESTABLISHMENT WITH A WHEAT COMPANION CROP IN NORTHEASTERN SASKATCHEWAN

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Abstract
Yields of pure stands of alfalfa (Medicago media Pers.) and bromegrass (Bromus inermis Leyss.) established on summer fallow with and without a wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) companion crop were compared at Melfort in three tests, each maintained for 4 yr. In two experiments out of three, yields over the 4-yr period were greater when the alfalfa or bromegrass was seeded alone; bromegrass produced more dry matter than alfalfa. Both forages produced much more dry matter in the seedling year when seeded without a cover crop, and this effect carried over into the first harvest year. In the second and third crop years, bromegrass seeded with wheat produced more dry matter than when seeded alone, whereas seeding method had no significant influence on alfalfa production. Seeding the wheat at 50 kg/ha, half the normal rate, did not improve forage establishment significantly, and made no consistent difference in the amount of grain produced. In all three experiments, soil fertility was high, and moisture was adequate for seedling establishment. It is argued that low light levels under the companion crop were the primary cause of poorer seedling growth in these conditions.Key words: Bromegrass, alfalfa, spring wheat, companion crops, forage yield, forage establishment