MIXED AGROCENOSES OF FORAGE BEANS AND FORAGE CROPS IN THE FOREST-STEPPE OF THE NOVOSIBIRSK OB REGION

Abstract

The paper explores crop yield and nutritional value of grain crops single-crop sowings and mixed ones in the forest-steppe of West Siberia. It is found out that mixed sowings produce 13-15 % crop yield less compared with single-crop sowings whereas they are more flexible to the climate conditions. The effective relation of grain and bean components in the mixture is 70:40 % of total seeding rate in the single-crop sowing. Being highly productive, broad beans are characterized by high variations in crop yield. The main feature of mixed sowings’ effectiveness is considered to be the sufficient amount of digestible protein in the feeding unit and amount of feeding units pro ha. Mixed sowings contain 41-43 % of digestible protein more than single-crop sowings of oat and barley. Livestock farming rate is reached when the mixture contains even 12 % of bean component. The collection of feeding units pro ha is reached by two-component mixture “oat 70 % + beans 40 %” where feeing units yield is 3.4 tones/ha and three-component mixture “oat 35 % + wheat 35 % + beans 40 %” - 3.2 tones/ha with digestible protein 154-162 g.