Effects of mixture ratio on hay yield and hay quality of Hungarian vetch + wheat mixture under Diyarbakir conditions

This research was conducted to determine the most proper seed mixture ratio of Hungarian vetch (Vicia pannonica) and wheat (Triticum aestivum ssp. aestivum) at the research area of the Agricultural College of Dicle University, Diyarbakır, during the growing season of 2008-2009. The field experiment was arranged in a completely randomized block design with four replications. In the study, green and dried herbage yields, ratios of Hungarian vetch in the green and dried herbage yield as well as crude protein ratios and yields of pure stands and three different mixtures of Hungarian vetch (Vicia pannonica) and wheat (Triticum aestivum ssp aestivum) such as 75 % wheat+ 25 % Hungarian vetch , 50 % wheat+ 50 % Hungarian vetch and 25 % wheat+ 75 % Hungarian vetch were studied.According to the results, the highest green herbage yield (2345.00 kg/da) and the highest dried herbage yield (643.58 kg/da) were obtained from the mixture of % 50 Hungarian vetch + % 50 wheat and from pure sowing of the wheat, respectively. The lowest green herbage (1537 kg/da) and dried herbage ( 305.75 kg/da) yields were both obtained from the pure sowings of Hungarian vetch. Increasing the ratio of Hungarian vetch in the seed mixture increased the contribution of Hungarian vetch to the green and dried herbage yields of the mixture. However, percentage of Hungarian vetch in the mixture yield was lower than the its ratio in the seed mixture. The highest crude protein ratio (%17.28) was obtained from the pure sowing of vetch but the highest crude protein yield (54.06 kg/da) was obtained from the mixture of 50 % wheat + 50 % Hungarian vetch.According to findings of the research, it was concluded that the most proper sowing rate of the seed mixture of Hungarian vetch and wheat for Diyarbakır conditions could be 50 % Hungarian vetch + 50 % wheat.Key Words: Hungarian vetch, Wheat , Mixture ratio.