The effect of undersowing wheat with clovers on wheat yield, total crop residue yield and nutritive value of straw and fodder grown on vertisols in Ethiopia
1994
Tekalign Mam | Teklu Erkosa (Debre Zeit Agricultural Research Center (AUA), Debre Zeit (Ethiopia)) | Abate Tedla (International Livestock Centre For Africa (ILCA), Addis Ababa (Ethiopia))
Field studies were conducted at various vertisol sites from 1987 to 1989 to assess the effects of undersowing clover on wheat grain and straw yield, total crop residue and biomass production, and the nutritive value of straw and fodder. Clover mixtures in association with several wheat varieties did not cause significant reductions in wheat grain yield, but the system significantly increased total fodder yield compared with the straw produced by wheat grown in a pure stand. Furthermore, the growth of clover in combination with wheat significantly (P minus than 0.001) increased CP and IVOMD contents of total fodder (wheat straw plus clover), suggesting that higher quality crop residue can be achieved by growing clover with wheat. In addition, NDF content was reduced in the wheat straw/clover combination, confirming that the quality of straw from wheat varieties grown in pure stand is inferior to that of the total fodder from wheat/clover intercropping. On-farm studies are now being conducted to verify the improvement in total crop residue production and in the quality of the crop residue, and to demonstrate to peasant farmers that the undersowing system could improve livestock performance
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