Oat and Oat-Vetch as Rainfed Fodder-Cover Crops in Semiarid Environments: Effects of Fertilization and Harvest Time on Forage Yield and Quality

Abstract

We evaluate the forage yield and quality, species composition, and carrying capacity of oats and oat-vetch as fodder-cover crops, grown in almond orchards, under mineral or organic fertilizer and three harvesting regimes (“grazing,” “hay,” and “grain plus straw”). Also, we show preliminary results of almond yield. Differences in yield due to mineral and organic fertilization were only 9%. The carrying capacity was similar for all treatments. The almond yield was greater when the cover crop was removed early as “grazing.” Therefore, oats and oat-vetch could be used as cover crops in almond orchards if removed early by livestock grazing.

Keywords:

• almond orchard
• carrying capacity
• cereals
• legumes
• Mediterranean

Acknowledgments

We thank the staff of the Patronato Rodríguez Penalva (Diputación de Granada) for lending us the experimental plots and for helping in the field work; Alicia Ortigosa for the chemical analysis of the forage; Jabier Ruiz Mirazo for his assistance in laboratory; and Dr. José Luis González Rebollar for his supervision. Isabel Sánchez Prior helped with the statistical analysis.

Notes

This study was funded by Consejería de Innovación, Ciencia y Empresa (IFAPA) and Consejería de Agricultura y Pesca (DAP) (Junta de Andalucía), and a FPU-MECD grant to M. E. Ramos.