Effects of Intercropping, Nitrogen Fertilization and Corn Plant Density on Yield, Crude Protein Accumulation and Ensiling Characteristics of Silage Corn Interseeded into Alfalfa Stand

Ruixuan Xu, Haiming Zhao, Yongliang You, Ruixin Wu, Guibo Liu, Zhiqiang Sun, Bademuqiqige and Yingjun Zhang
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Ruixuan Xu: College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
Haiming Zhao: Dryland Farming Institute, Hebei Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, Hengshui 053000, China
Yongliang You: Dryland Farming Institute, Hebei Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, Hengshui 053000, China
Ruixin Wu: Dryland Farming Institute, Hebei Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, Hengshui 053000, China
Guibo Liu: Dryland Farming Institute, Hebei Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, Hengshui 053000, China
Zhiqiang Sun: College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
Bademuqiqige: College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
Yingjun Zhang: College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China

Agriculture, 2022, vol. 12, issue 3, 1-15

Abstract: Interseeding silage corn into an alfalfa stand following its spring harvests to produce mixed silage would feasibly break the restriction of alfalfa production during a hot-rainy summer. In this 2-yr experiment, the alfalfa–silage corn intercropping system (AC) with nitrogen (N) fertilization rates of 0, 60, 120, and 180 kg N ha −1 and corn plant densities of 30,000, 45,000, and 60,000 plants ha −1 was compared with the monocultured corn (CK) managed using the local farmers’ practice. Intercropping with alfalfa significantly decreased the dry matter (DM) yield of the corn by 31.5% on average, while increasing the N application rate and corn plant density promoted DM yield and crude protein (CP) accumulation of the intercropped corn, and the intercropping system could achieve the same CP yield as CK—it did in most cases. Although the DM contents, pH values, and NH 3 -N concentrations were decreased in the mixed silage, its fermentation quality was not reduced and the CP, water soluble carbohydrates, and lactic acid contents were dramatically increased by 16.3%, 17.8%, and 72.9% compared with those of CK, respectively. For the opposite effects of N fertilization and corn density on silage quality, the treatment combination with a medium corn density (45,000 plants ha −1 ) fertilized at a medium N rate (120 kg N ha −1 ) was evaluated as the optimum for more balanced system productivity, silage nutritive values and fermentative characteristics during the coexisting period.

Keywords: intercropping systems; alfalfa; silage corn; nitrogen; forage quality (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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