Forage yield and competition indices of faba bean intercropped with oat

A 2-year field study was conducted using one oat (Avena sativa L.) cultivar ('Cassandra') and two faba bean (Vicia faba L.) cultivars ('Polykarpe' and 'Tanagra') as sole crops and six faba bean-oat intercrops seeded at three seeding ratios (75-25, 50-50 and 25-75%). Land-equivalent ratio (LER) and competition ratio (CR) indices were also assessed. Two-year mean annual dry-matter (DM) yield of all intercrops averaged 17.2 t ha(-1) and this was greater than that of both faba bean sole crops, which averaged 12.7 t ha(-1). However, intercrop DM was significantly lower than that of oat sole crop, which averaged 24.9 t ha(-1). The most productive intercrop was that of faba bean-oat at 25-75 seeding ratio. The intercropped oat had higher LER than either of the intercropped faba bean cultivars, indicating an advantage for oat intercropped with faba bean. The results of this study indicated that faba bean-oat intercrops provided higher total DM and protein yields than those of faba bean sole crop, but lower or similar yields to oat as a sole crop. Results are discussed in the context of providing forages in Mediterranean environments that are of balanced nutritional value. Thus, intercropping of either of the tested faba bean cultivars with oat (cv. Cassandra) at a 25-75 seeding ratio could be used as an alternative to faba bean sole crop or faba bean-cereals intercrops for satisfactory forage and protein yield.