Silage yield and quality of row intercropped maize and soybean in a crop rotation following winter wheat

Maize (Zea mays L.) intercropped with soybean (Glycine max L.) may be a viable option to improve the quality of the silage. In this study, maize and soybean intercropped in different numbers of rows and their monocropping equivalents were tested to determine the best intercropping system in a crop rotation following winter wheat. The treatments were monoculture maize (M), monoculture soybean (S), 75% maize + 25% soybean (3M:1S), 50% maize + 50% soybean (2M:2S) and 25% maize + 75% soybean (1M:3S). The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications in 2011 and 2012 in Antalya, Turkey. Highest fresh forage yields were obtained from maize (53.3 tha(-1)) and 3M:1S (62.8 tha(-1)) treatments in 2011 and 2012, respectively. Maize treatment had highest dry matter yield (21.1 and 22.0 tha(-1)) in both years. Quality analysis of silage revealed that 3M:1S was superior to maize treatment in terms of dry matter (25.23%), crude protein (7.31%), crude fiber (18.27%), neutral detergent fiber (42.56%), acid detergent fiber (25.81%), lactic acid (4.71%) and acetic acid (4.05%). In conclusion, 3M:1S row intercropped production system was a better alternative for silage to monoculture maize in a crop rotation following winter wheat.