evaluation of forage yield and quality in chickpea/barley intercropping

to study the mixing rates effects of barley (hordeum vulgare l.) and chickpea (desi type) (cicer ariethinum l.) on forage production under dryland conditions, a field experiment was conducted at agricultural research station of university of tehran (karaj campus) during the 2003 – 2004 growing season. the 11 treatments of this experiment were statistically compared based on a randomized complete block design of three replications. experimental treatments were arranged as a factorial of sowing density levels of chickpea (100%, 75% and 50% of pure stand) and barley (100%, 75% and 50% of pure stand). also two additional treatments of chickpea and barley sole cropping were established as control. barley grain (valfajr cultivar) and chickpea (4322 ecotype) were simoultaniously planted on 20th december, green forage being harvested on 10th may (next year). no manure or irrigation was applied in this experiment (dryland system adopted). forage was harvested taking into account chickpea phenology (early flowering stage). barley was the dominant plant in all the mixed treatments. results showed that forage yield of chickpea and barley was significantly affected by mixing rate (p