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Title: PLANT DENSITY INTERACTIONS WITH WINTER SMALL GRAIN/RED CLOVER INTERCROPS

Author
item BLASER, B - IA STATE UNIVERSITY
item GIBSON, L - IA STATE UNIVERSITY
item Singer, Jeremy
item JANNINK, J - IA STATE UNIVERISTY
item Kohler, Keith

Submitted to: ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/4/2004
Publication Date: 11/4/2004
Citation: Blaser, B.C., Gibson, L.R., Singer, J.W., Jannink, J.L., Kohler, K.A. 2004. Plant density interactions with winter small grain/red clover intercrops [CD-ROM]. ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting Abstracts. Madison, WI.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Upper Midwest small grain fields typically remain fallow following harvest. A legume intercrop can provide multiple benefits to the cropping system. The objective of this study was to evaluate the interaction between small grain (SG) and red clover (RC) (Trifolium pratense L.) seeding rates (SR) on stand establishment and yield. In a field study near Boone, IA, winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and triticale (X Triticosecale Wittmack) were seeded at target densities between 99 and 396 seeds m-2. Actual densities ranged from 82 to 217 and 89 to 301 plants m-2 in 2003 and 2004. RC was frost-seeded at densities ranging from 300 to 1500 seeds m-2. RC establishment densities ranged from 84 to 331 and 30 to 130 plants m-2 in 2003 and 2004. SG yields ranged from 3.07 to 4.60 and 2.11 to 4.61 Mg ha-1 in 2003 and 2004. In 2003, SG yields only increased up to the actual density of 109 seeds m-2 for both species. In 2004, SG yields increased with each SR increment. The SG SR affected RC dry matter (DM) at 40 d after SG harvest, but not in a second harvest 40 d later. RC DM after triticale yielded lower than after wheat in the first harvest (1.08 vs. 1.98 Mg ha-1), but higher in the second (1.83 vs.1.59). RC seeded above 900 seeds m-2 did not increase DM yield in 2003. Regardless of small grain SR, 2003 results suggest that RC DM is maximized at 900 seeds m-2.