effect of harvest time on forage yield and quality maize under intercropping with legume plants

in order to evaluation the different sowing date and different harvest time in intercropping of maize and legume plants on maize forage quality, a randomized complete block with three replications conducted in research field of university of sari agricultural sciences and natural resources in 2011. treatments were included three legume plants (soybean, fenugreek and cowpea) at two sowing time (simultaneously with maize, and 21 days after sowing of maize), and control treatment (maize without legume plants). the results showed that delay in harvest time was caused increasing the dry matter from milky stage to dough stage, while maize harvest at dough stage the dry matter yield in maize pure stand (17%), soybean at both time (14 and 9%), fenugreek at both time (11 and 22%) and cowpea at both time (3 and 11%) than the increase in milk yield the dry matter. the highest forage of legume plants was related to cowpea. the study showed that the harvest at milky stage than dough stage have higher forage quality. the maximum cp and dmd of maize forage were obtained at first time of cowpea and second time of soybean, respectively. the maximum of wsc also was observed in monoculture of maize (without legume plant). weed dry matter decreased significantly (p <0.05) by increasing of intercropping biomass.